Consultants On Cloud Nine
by LivesUnderTheSea
Summary: Super fluffy series of one shots, because who doesn't need a little fluff in their lives?
1. Falling For You

Prompt: Person A looking on to a high shelf, falling and Person B catching them. (Skewed this slightly, but enjoy!)

You okay?" Bernie spoke into the office as she kicked the door open wider, clutching two coffee cups in her hands and balancing a small stack of files across her forearms. It had been a busy morning and she was already feeling fatigued after answering the red phone and consequently dealing with a stressful session in theatre with an RTC victim. It was still touch-and-go for the minute, but Bernie was hopeful for the young woman. Surprised when she didn't receive an immediate reply from her partner in crime, Bernie spun around to find Serena huffing, wading her way through a scattering of familiar looking folders and stray paperwork, muttering to herself, oblivious to outside forces. Luckily, Bernie had a way of getting into her head.

"Yep," came the short reply a second later, in a sigh that Bernie instantly recognised as frustration. Flipping her own folders onto the opposite side, she walked the short distance to the Serena's desk and set down the coffee.

"Thanks," Serena's one worded replies were a clear indicator of her growing tensions, as she began to filter through the paper at a faster pace, not taking the chance to meet Bernie's gaze.

"What are you looking for?" Bernie held onto her cup tighter, anticipating the response as she leaned back against the desk behind her.

Serena stopped to stand straight for a moment, hand on her hip to relief the aches spanning across her back, meeting Bernie's soft eyes at the same time and suddenly feeling a lot more relaxed, mirroring the slight smile on the medic's lips.

"Those notes Hanssen gave us for the trauma unit protocol," Serena started in a dull, mocking tone. When would she ever be able to dedicate her time to real medicine? Sometimes she envied Bernie's past career that performed for the 'here and now' rather than each conversation being followed by half a tree's worth of paperwork...

"Oh that, yeah. I knew you'd be consumed by it for the entire weekend if you took it tonight, so I hid it." Bernie bluntly replied, smirking as Serena's gaze fell on her again.

"I would not!" Serena protested, but realised she was onto a losing battle. There was absolutely every chance that would have been the case. Collapsing into her chair, Serena sighed, knowing this wasn't going to be easy.

"Tell me then?" She dared ask, only to receive a shake blonde hair and a delightful smile.

"No chance, Fräulein."

"Well-"

"Bernie, can I borrow you a minute?" Raf's faint voice became clearer and louder as he approached the office entrance.

"I will find it, Ms Wolfe!" Serena shouted out to the ward as Bernie made her way out, chuckling to herself at the novelty, feeling warm at the intentions of the medic's actions. That woman really knew her too well.

Half an hour had passed when Bernie had chance to return to their shared sanctuary, away from the busy nature of the ward, just the two of them. Raf had asked for a second opinion on a patient's blood results, which had left her getting tangled up in doing another examination.

Bernie sighed, nearing the office. She had a ton of paperwork to crack on with, and often found herself procrastinating, still adjusting herself to the written nature of the NHS. Between consulting with other colleagues and Serena being in the same room as her, not a lot was ever done in the time she had.

Bernie returned to the office, swinging open the door.

"Ser-"

"Whoa!" Serena screamed, clinging to the top of the tall metal filing cabinet in the corner of their office, as the wheely desk chair she had momentarily been balanced on spun across the floor, taking Serena's legs with it, stretching her further out into the room.

Bernie practically leaped across the office to the damsel in distress, panic rushing through her at the scene that played out in front of her. Arms firmly secured around Serena's middle, she gently lifted her down from her difficult situation, still holding her tight, as she began to chuckle softly.

"Care to explain, Ms Campbell?" Bernie laughed, looking down to her partner.

"I said I was going to try and find that bloody trauma work, so that's what I was trying to do!" Serena reasoned, smiling back at Bernie.

"And it didn't cross your mind that the chair had wheels, I suppose?" Bernie volleyed back, giving a knowing look to her partner.

"Good job I have you then, isn't it Major?" She smirked, hugging her tighter.

"Well, when you put it like that..." Bernie laughed, "But this doesn't mean I'm going to tell you where it is!"

"Well, you know me, Ms Wolfe. I don't give up that easily. And I doubt you'll be able to catch me if I fall next time..." Serena trailed, winking at her mischievously.

She sighed deeply, "End of shift. If you don't go looking for any more trouble?" Bernie reasoned, pulling apart slightly to look at Serena straight.

Serena purposely exaggerated her deliberations, smiling at the concern Bernie had for her.

"Deal" She held out her hand in a mock shake, and as Bernie took it in her own, she pulled her closer in a quick move, planting a quick kiss to her lips.

"Promise?" Bernie shot a concerned look, keeping hold of her hand.

"Yes, Major." Serena saluted, a wider smile growing on her face, as Bernie made her way out of the room again, forming a similar smile of her own.


	2. Life's One Big Game

"Get out the way," Serena mumbled, curled up in the corner of the sofa, aware that she was slowly drifting to sleep in the soft glow of the lamp and low mumble of the TV. She opened her eyes to see Bernie crouching down by her side, their eyes level and faces close, the blonde sporting a mischievous smile.

"What?" Serena sat up slightly, curious to the look in her partner's eyes.

"No way..." Serena's voice became firmer as Bernie presented the cardboard game box, poking her hidden face from around the corner. Serena chuckled lightly at the expression of her partner, wondering how she was ever suited to the army. Wondering how she put up such a strong, fearless facade as a surgeon when she was so adorably innocent at home.

However, if there was one thing Serena Campbell didn't do, it was board games, regardless of who wanted to play.

"Why not?" Bernie whined, dropping down the box to rest her head on Serena's chest, looking up with the same pleading eyes as when she initially introduced the idea.

"Because, Ms Wolfe," She began, playing with the blonde curls in front of her. "As much as I _love_ my job, don't you think we perform enough surgery in the workplace?"

Bernie looked down to the bright _Operation!_ box on the carpet, and then back up to Serena's tender smile, as if considering her argument.

"Besides," Bernie wound her arms around Serena's middle, pulling herself up to squeeze beside her. "There's no blood with plastic. That's my favourite part." Serena chimed, pulling her partner into a tighter embrace.

"Well, Serena Campbell," Bernie pushed herself up to sit looking level to her. "If you win, we will never have to play any type of board game _ever_ again. _And_ I'll buy the drinks at Albies for a month! **But** if _I_ win, family game night will commence every other Thursday evening. No excuses."

Serena gave a small smirk that grew into a cunning grin.

"Well then Major, let's see who's the best surgeon here, shall we?"

––––––––––––––––––––––

"That's not fair!" Serena practically lept into the air, startled by the alarming buzz of yet another failure to pick up the novelty wishbone.

"Well, you know what they say..." Bernie trailed, taking pure delight in winning, as she collected the last item from the body, hearing a heavy sight of annoyance from the opposite side of the coffee table as she dropped the plastic wishbone down into her collection of items.

"No, what do they say?" Serena questioned, collecting up the items she'd managed to salvage from the plastic patient.

"I don't know. But if they did, it would be never to bet with an army medic. It's far too risky." She shot a brilliant smile across the room and Serena nodded.

"Don't I know it!"

"That's 9 to me and..." Bernie trailed, waiting for the response of her partner, which should have been pretty instant considering there wasn't many figures for her to count.

"4..." Serena grumbled, sitting up on her knees to relieve her back.

Bernie smiled, leaning across the game set.

"Sorry, what was that Ms Campbell, I didn't quite catch-"

"Four! I got four!" Serena jumped forward, so their faces were inches apart. Serena narrowed her eyes, Bernie smiling at the determination in Serena's narrowed eyes.

"So?" Bernie encouraged, waiting for Serena to finally admit defeat and agree to their earlier proposals.

Serena sighed, looking down to the game and then back to Bernie's lit eyes. She leant forward slightly and pecked at the blonde's cheek.

"Best of three?" She suggested weakly, Bernie cocking her head to one side, smirking.

"No chance, Fräulein."

"Well," She followed Bernie around the table as she resumed her comfortable position in the corner of the sofa, Bernie cuddling into her side. "We'll see how long it lasts." Serena reasoned, kissing the blonde curls resting on her own shoulder.

"Oh, it will," Bernie murmured, suddenly feeling heavy with fatigue as she snuggled further into her partner.

"I can be very persuasive, Ms Wolfe." She teased, holding her tighter.

"Try me." Bernie flatly replied, but failed to contain a smile at how perfect things had become.


	3. Facing The Music

"It doesn't go like that!" Serena huffed, kneeling over the array of wooden articles scattered across the carpet and sinking back down to the floor.

"Well, what do you suggest, Ms Campbell?" Bernie shot a look of annoyance to the brunette, pointing the screwdriver at her.

"Reading the instructions might be a good start." Serena took a large gulp of shiraz, before settling the glass down and smiling at her partner. "Not that I suggested it before..." She trailed off.

Bernie groaned as she leant back to retrieve the screwed up ball of paper she'd discarded in an earlier fit of frustration, peeling it apart to examine the diagrams, before sighing heavily again and looking across to the various parts.

"Right..." She mumbled to herself, grabbing the piece she thought best resembled a base, and comparing it to the picture.

"Big Macho Army Medic who can't even assemble a CD rack!" Serena chuckled as she shuffled over to sit with her, receiving a novelty plonk on the head with the screwdriver.

"What's your excuse? For _such_ a skilled surgeon, you can hardly talk!" Bernie volleyed back, smirking at the mock shock on Serena's face.

"Well, Major. I've never had a practical side." Serena teased, taking a sip of wine, looking over the ridge of the glass as Bernie began to fit pieces together, smiling triumphantly when it resembled the picture below.

"I'd say saving people's lives on a daily basis was pretty practical, Fräulein."

"Hm, but never had the knack for something as domestic as this. Though, I probably would have started by reading the instructions..." Serena chuckled, receiving a glare from her partner.

"Well, you could always help?"

"It doesn't quite look like you know what you're doing yourself, my love. Something tells me I wouldn't be of much use."

"Just try and figure out which pieces go with each letter?" Bernie chucked the paper across without glancing up from her current position, trying to hold together two pieces of wood, frowning at the allen key.

"Righto" Serena knelt forward and compared each component to the labels on the leaflet, moving bits around into collected piles.

"Ah!" Bernie exclaimed, a triumphant smile plastered on her face as she looked across the room to Serena.

"Well, we're getting there, Major." Serena smiled back. "There we go," She sat back and handed the instructions back to Bernie.

"What?" Her face dropped in astonishment. "Please don't tell me you've sorted them out already?" Serena nodded at the question.

"Oh how you underestimate me, Berenice..." She teased, before grabbing the allen key from her girlfriend and effortlessly fitted another plank of wood into place.

"Well, you seem quite confident. I may just leave you to it!" Bernie went to stand, before being pulled back down by hands on her hips.

"Oh no, you don't, Ms Wolfe." Bernie laughed softly at her adamancy.

"Pass me that long piece." Serena held her hand out expectantly as Bernie did what she was asked and Serena swiftly fitted the last big piece together.

"Just the shelves now, Major. And you can do that!" Serena smiled, getting up from the floor and moving out to the kitchen, taking the two empty glasses with her.

"Right away, Fräulein." Bernie retorted with a salute, picking up a smaller square, rotating it to work out how next to proceed.

She placed the first shelf in, smiling to herself that it fit first time, and began to secure it into place, before adding the next.

"Blimey, that was quick!" Serena chortled from the doorframe she was leaning into, with a refilled glass of red.

"What can I say?" She volleyed back, sitting with her legs crossed, smirking up as Serena crossed the room to near her.

Bernie began stacking the various CDs into their new home. "I don't know why you need all of these. I've counted four _80's Greatest Hits_ CDs already!"

"Shush," Serena smirked at her lover, sitting back up against the sofa.

"Can you help?" Bernie asked, standing up to prepare to move the column back against the wall.

"We'll put it in the corner," she gestured over to the radiator, the wine sloshing in the glass as she swung her arm around.

They took a side each, shuffling backwards together quickly, and settled the stand down. Suddenly, there was a crash of plastic that made Bernie wince, not wanting to open her eyes, especially when she heard Serena's heavy sigh and muttered cursing.

The CDs were scattered across the floor around the column, a couple creeping under the sofa, the rest in a bundle before them.

Serena placed her hand to her head. "Nothing is _ever_ simple!" She grumbled, as Bernie wrapped her arms around Serena from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder.

"Well, at least the actual frame is still standing?" Bernie lightly joked, but in true Wolfe style, as if on queue, the sides collapsed and left just the base in its original spot- the rest spread across the floor in a range of directions.

"Oh," Bernie whispered, but couldn't restrain the laugh.

"You should know better than to risk that, Ms Wolfe." Serena warned, referring to the light chuckles from her shoulder, with a hint of her own mischief in her tone.

"Worth the chance." She answered, kissing Serena's cheek, feeling a smile grow on the surgeon's face.


	4. Winter's Day

It was the ending to the full year, and Serena couldn't believe all it had entailed- for both her and Bernie. The hospital had seen dark days, with half the building being crushed by a helicopter and threatening the lives of many staff in other varying situations. Casting her mind back to Fletch on the operating table made her shudder, as she sat on the edge of the bed. A smile crept onto her lips, thinking of the bittersweet moment. Fletch could have _died_ and the consequences of losing such a wonderful man were unavoidable to think about, but she filled with warmth reminiscing on the spontaneous kiss Bernie had sprung on her in an emotional display afterwards- and she had kissed back. How things had changed since then: a recovered Fletcher, a runaway trip to Kiev and countless kisses later, she cast her gaze down to Bernie, snuggled into the other side of the bed. As if the look could be felt, a drowsy Bernie began to stir and Serena climbed over to her.

"Morning, Major." Serena gently whispered.

Bernie eventually opened her eyes after a slow stretch, smiling back.

"Good Morning," she sat up gradually, as Serena sat back against her.

"Why are you up already?" She asked quizzically.

"Well, like the idiot I am, I forgot we were off today. So, realising it had been snowing, I panicked and deiced the car, so I'm bloody freezing now!"

Bernie's eyes lit, as she pushed out of the bed to the window, "Snowing?"

Serena huffed, lying further back, now she'd lost her support.

"Oh, charming! Nothing like the warm affection of your partner to set away that chill." Serena sarcastically remarked, before walking up behind Bernie, still gazing out of the window, and wrapping her tightly from behind.

When there was little in the way of a reply, usually a retort volleyed back in jest at similar comments, Serena looked up from the view to Bernie, watching her capturing the scene out of the window. The skies were one whole layer of deep cloud, but the scene below made up for the dreary outlook above them. The tops of the lower houses were coated white and the trees following the path down the hill were sprinkled white too. Few cars had already left for the day, leaving bold, black rectangles of free tarmac against the greying sludge in the centre of the road itself. Pavements retained a great deal of the perfected, plump snow but was disturbed by the odd trail of a venturing cat or early riser. In the distance, the scene fell to a much more natural, stereotypically snowy scene. The thick woods painted a view of irregular trees, patterned with bare branches and vibrant evergreens, but all sharing the dusting of white sparkle that made the view more delicate. The church in the dip between the hill and the woodland took the same casting of chilly decoration and the festive star on top twinkled in the brightness of the day.

"Ms Wolfe, you seem totally memorised?" Serena had never seen someone- let alone Bernie- so enamoured with the frosty conditions.

"It's just so beautiful," she finally replied "And look!" She pointed across to the backdrop of the woods that fell behind the village further away. The evergreens that stood like a blur of Christmas trees last night were now dusted with the winter snow. It's not that Serena didn't value it- the view was beautiful and she knew that- but it had become such a general part of her life, it had lost it's day-to-day novelty, until now.

"Well, maybe we could go for a walk later?" Serena suggested, looking up to Bernie's wide eyes, wild with excitement, who smiled, grateful for the simple gesture. "Only if I get to wear my hat..." Bernie laughed, before turning from the view to Serena and holding her in her own embrace.

\--

Since rising, the sun had burnt off the majority of damp cloud and left a glorious sparkle to the icy puddles and glisten to the frost. Serena pulled her notoriously fluffy hat down further onto her head and snuggled into Bernie's arm as they continued down the quiet lane leading to the woods that had been the picturesque view from their bedroom.

"I take it back, it's bloody freezing." Serena looked down to the sludge in the gutters of the tarmac, regretting the earlier suggestion of venturing outside.

"What? Even with that...delightful hat?" Bernie laughed, briefly letting go of her partner to push the gate to the woodland open. and letting Serena through before following behind her.

"Watch it, Major," Serena glared back, as Bernie shut the gate a chuckled, wrapping her arm around her waist and they continued to climb the incline in unison.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Bernie looked up to the sky and smiled. "Being away so often, I never really got the chance to enjoy a full, white Christmas. And it was never as comfortable, because me and Marcus had fell apart a LONG time ago..." She drifted, realising Serena had stopped them both in their tracks and looked up to her.

"I love you, Ms Wolfe." She stated simply, pulling Bernie in closer.

"Sorry," Bernie lightly kissed her cheek. "I love you too."

Taking Bernie's hand, Serena pulled them along, guiding them both along the frosty path, through the thick trees, where everything seemed secluded and lifelessly silent.

Bernie gazed to Serena and laughed lightly, although too much not to go unnoticed.

"What?" She frowned, gazing up.

"Nothing, just-" Bernie stopped, choosing her words carefully. "How long have you had that hat?" She smirked.

Serena sighed, looking up to the amusement shining in her girlfriend's eyes.

"Why?" She avoided the question, more curious for the reasons behind it.

"And you wear it to work?" Bernie began with the rhetorical question. "And you're joint lead of AAU, you were deputy CEO, you're a figure of authority..." Serena looked at the blonde quizzically, as they continued walking slowly down the slight hill. "But how can anyone take your seriously?!" She chortled, as an expression of challenge looked her in the eye.

"I'll have you know I can be very scary, thank you Ms Wolfe. You just haven't seen it yet." Serena smugly volleyed back.

"I'll have to warn Mrs Beauchamp then." Bernie smiled, playfully pushing into Serena's side, watching her topple slightly and lose balance into the deep snow of the bank. She placed out a hand for support, not moving for a moment, as Bernie took a step forward.

"You're going to pay for that, Major." She swiped around, pushing the snow she had slyly gathered into her face, giggling louder when Bernie pulled an expression resembling someone who'd been slapped, before legging it in the other direction as the army medic chased after her.


	5. The Air Is Blue

"That isn't going to work, Ms Wolfe..." Serena smiled, marvelling at her partner in crime as she sat back in her chair at the opposite side of the room. Bernie shot a glance of annoyance back to Serena from her compromised position. The air conditioning in their office had decided to malfunction and spur out a continuous flow of icy air like whirlwind that mirrored the chilling conditions beyond their shared ward. Bernie huffed as she tried desperately to stuff a familiarly dark 'Trauma-unit-blue' scrub top into the corners of the vent in an attempt to mute the harsh blow of said malfunction.

"Ah ha!" She triumphed, arms held up in victory and smirked smugly to her girlfriend who sighed heavily, desperately trying to suppress a grin at Bernie, as she jumped down from the table she'd been balancing on to sort out the issue.

"Aren't I amazing?" The army medic spun towards Serena's desk and sat over the brunette, legs kicking from over the arm rest.

"Hm, maybe." Serena hugged her arms around Bernie's middle, pulling her closer, if possible.

"You don't sound very confident, Ms Campbell?" Bernie laughed, leaning her head to rest on the her shoulder.

"Well, I must admit, I _did_ doubt you. But being my 'Big Macho Army Medic', I'm not quite sure why I did." It was true, and something she had always admired about Bernie- she always managed to surprise her and break the boundaries, making a lot of what she would deem the impossible _possible._ Serena had never been one to lack confidence, and even when she did, wouldn't ever publicly admit it, but with Bernie around, there seemed no need. She was never afraid when Bernie was near by, be it in surgery or a difficult night with Jason. Bernie was the Major to her Fräulein.

"You should have learnt by now..." She trailed off, kissing Serena lightly.

"Yeah,but-" Their notoriously light-hearted banter was interrupted by a mechanical whirl from above them and a metal clanking before the scrub top whooshed and flopped to the floor heavily once the initial gush of air had pushed it across the room.

"Oh, whoops. Spoke too soon..." Bernie grumbled, sliding from her comfortable position to pick up the fabric. Screwing it into a ball, she launched it back at the vent which, it true Wolfe style, led to further trouble when the metal grid wobbled, the screws shivering at the impact and the movement of air, it fell from its position on the wall, dropping simply and clunking against the floor.

"Shit." Bernie cursed at the fault in the system and the greater problem of the grid that had detached from the wall and left a gaping hole, baring a bleaker current through the room. She glanced around to find Serena with her head in her hands, but didn't chance to investigate if it was a gesture of humour or...not. She stood there for a moment, briefly gazing at the vent, in sheer disgust,which still remained flat by the desk and realising she was directing her inner monologue of anger at an inanimate slab of steel, she turned to watch Serena, who looked up with a glint in her eyes and a sparkling tear fell to her cheek. Before Bernie's concern could escape her lips, Serena shrieked in a louder giggle and wiped her tears away.

"I believe that hasn't worked _quite_ as well as we hoped." She chuckled, calming down and resting back to look up to her partner, who was still stood in the middle of the room, a finger to her mouth in consideration of how to fix the problem. "And I believe it's getting colder in here. Plan-what are we on now- H? What are we going to do, Major?"

"Well, I have to do my rounds now but-"

Serena jumped up to meet Bernie and unzipped the front of her hoodie to venture her arms around her warm middle. Bernie responded, wrapping the halves together to encase the pair together tightly.

"Or we could just stay here..." Bernie murmured, appreciating the quiet comfort of the scenario.

"No, no, Ms Wolfe. You have patients to see, lives to save. Although you may want to keep touching base, just to make sure I haven't completely frozen over!" Serena pulled away and caught Bernie's hand, swinging it slightly, looking up into her wide eyes, eager.

"Hm, suppose so. Well, you better take my hoodie for safe keeping then,Fräulein." Bernie kissed her quickly, before heading to the door. "And if the problem isn't fixed by the time I get back, we'll just have to huddle to keep warm!" Smirking she vanished around the corner, leaving Serena chuckling lightly in affection, as she wrapped the grey material around her.

Only Berenice Wolfe could develop such an inconvenience and make it feel like such a beautiful benefit.


	6. As Fluffy As The Clouds Above

"How did I know you'd be up here?" Serena approached the metal railings and sat beside her partner, settling the two steaming cups on the step too and gazing over the rooftop far out on the busy Holby streets.

Bernie lifted her head from leaning against the cold brick wall behind her and blinked as she adjusted from the blindingly bright sky she'd been looking up at, to Serena's shaded figure before her.

"You okay?" Serena queried, placing a hand on Bernie's knee, clearly concerned at the lack of reply.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just tired." Bernie sighed as she spoke, folding her hand over Serena's, adjusting herself to sit up properly. "I didn't sleep great last night..." She trailed off, looking back up to meet the soft brown eyes she'd grown to rely on so much.

"No, I realised. At about 3 O'clock to be precise, when you moved and took the quilt with you. It was bloody freezing!" Serena chuckled, shuffling closer to her.

"Sorry," the response was mumbled and followed by a sigh of exhaustion. "I just... Oh I don't know why, but it's starting to really get on my last nerve. You can't afford to be any more sleep deprived and caffeine dependent than usual in this job." She leant across the Serena's lap to pick up the coffee intended for her, smiling gratefully as she returned, wrapping it in her hands, hidden in the sleeves of her familiar hoodie.

"What causes you to wake up?" Serena followed suit, taking her drink too, staring over to wait for a response.

Bernie began tracing her finger across the rim of the plastic lid. "Um, I don't know. Sometimes it's just not being able to switch off, you know? Sometimes I'm sleeping so lightly that I am still aware of everything going on," Bernie thinks back to the time she'd woken with a start at the thudding of a neighbour who'd forgotten to put the bins out in the early hours, causing her to lie awake for the next hour. She nodded towards Serena, reading the ideas cast in her thoughts. "And yes, sometimes it is a flashback of...of whatever. Not just the army- a tricky day in surgery or even as simple as suddenly remembering something for the next day. It's like I'm always on the go."

She looked up to a sympathetic smile as she stood and pushed Bernie's knees down, flattening her legs straight before sitting across her lap, Bernie collapsing into her side, hugging her around the neck.

"It's been worse lately, hasn't it?" Serena spoke softly, feeling a short nod push into the side of her neck. She paused for a moment, considering, as a professional, how they could proceed. "Sleeping tablets?" She suggested, but knew the answer before recognising the abrupt shake in the same place as before.

Bernie pulled away slightly to look at the surgeon sat on top of her. "No way, Fräulein." She said with a smile to her voice. "They make me go all foggy the next day- what?" She frowned at the curious look forming on Serena's face. "I've dealt with this for a while so I have looked for solutions before this little session, Ms Campbell." She raised her eyebrows knowingly before discarding the cardboard cup and wrapping her arms around her, in appreciation for her concern.

"Well, it hasn't worked, has it?" Serena volleyed back, kissing the blonde curls directly below her own face, as Bernie leaned in for a tighter embrace. "How about seeing a sleep thera-"

"No, no way." Bernie shot back up straight and gave a stern look to accompany her firm tome. "Absolutely not."

"Woa, okay, okay" Serena pulled her hands up in mock surrender before they fell around the body that returned to clinging to her. They sat for a moment in silence, watching the clouds drift slowly across the sky, blocking the bright rays of the direct sunlight one minute and allowing the comfortable warmth to glaze them the next. Below, small figures wandered around the hospital grounds and a siren faded into the distance.

"We'll have to do something though, at some point, Bern. No matter how much of a macho medic you think you are, your talents aren't of much use if you can't keep your eyes open..." Expecting a tactful retort to her teasing much sooner, Serena looked down to Bernie, deeply relaxed into her side; her arms were now lowered to wrap around her middle. Her breathing slower, her body limper, her eyes closed. Serena smiled, chuckling softly at the irony but she felt content being sat here alone with Bernie, her discreet movement causing her to snuggle further into Serena's side, which caused a vibrant warm to glow from inside.


	7. Sorting Out

"Are you sure you don't need help with that,Serena?" Serena looked up to the blonde figure leaning against the doorframe to their room, their eyes meeting from Serena's position on the floor, surrounded by an entire wardrobe of various blouses and jackets, trousers and coats, scattered across the room. Serena had been determined to have a 'good sort out' as she so confidently put it last night; it was partly to reduce down herself and partly -mainly- to make a bit more room for Bernie's growing number of outfits that resided in her bedroom.

"Hm, somehow, I don't think you'll be very _helpful_?" Serena shot back a brilliant smile at her partner's arrival, something she'd felt for a long time but was only just beginning to acknowledge every time she walked into sight.

Bernie leapt across the carpet, elegantly dodging the pools of fabric and jumped onto the bed with a soft thud, a pile of vibrant reds and greens sliding off of the edge and slipping into a similar pile at the force.

"Berenice,I am aware that what I said was correct, but you don't always have to _prove_ it." Serena sighed, frustrated. She had picked the wrong time to do this. She was bored stupid and hadn't even managed to sift through the first lot of clothing yet...

"Yeah, sorry." Bernie mumbled, lying down on her back and leaning over the edge to look at Serena upside down. Serena, suppressing a smile, tried to continue with the task in hand, shuffling from one collection of colour to another. A few minutes passed in a comfortable silence, until Bernie sat up suddenly, and dizzy, blood rushing back down from her head.

"I'm _bored_." She grumbled, as Serena knelt back up to meet her eyes. It was times like this that the medic reminded her of Elinor, remembering when she was preparing for university and the situation played out a lot like this- Eli on the bed, humming away and Serena being left to sort everything out. The difference was now, this was Serena's job and Bernie was 30 years older than her daughter had been.

"Well then go and have a bath, or bake a cake, or go for a bloody run. I won't be too long." Serena smiled, as Bernie sat cross legged on the mattress and sighed at her options.

Bernie leapt from the bed majestically, in the direction of the door, but became unbalanced when she tripped on a stray bag, colliding with a bin bag and spilling its contents back onto the cream floor. She spun around to catch her girlfriend's expression- not amused, it could be described- and ducked in the doorway she had originally appeared from, to avoid an odd sock that had been hurtled in her direction.

"Nice try, Ms Campbell." She smirked, arms folded at the door, resulting in the other sock being launched in her direction too. Again, she dodged it effortlessly, much to Serena's annoyance.

"It will be more than a sock next time, Major." Serena growled, retrieving the bag of clothes Bernie had clumsily knocked and packing them back up.

"Ah, but if you're aim's anything to go by, it's not really much of a threat, is it Fräulein?" Bernie laughed, edging her bets and moving from the entrance, making her way to the stairs before dashing back to peer around the bedroom door.

"I love you, Serena Campbell." She chimed mischievously.

"Sod off," Serena shot back a knowing smile at the medic, and with that she departed.

\--

Two hours later, and Serena Campbell was pleased with her results. Three bin bags lay on the landing for charity and she had managed to clear out a third of the wardrobe for her partner.

Although nothing else had been achieved that afternoon by herself, she had heard Bernie clanging around downstairs, something that had only grown in her suspicions throughout the time she'd been dealing with her own mess. But when she had eventually gone to investigate, she was pleasantly surprised to find dinner waiting and, more importantly, a glass of shiraz being handed to her.

"Get rid of much?" Bernie smirked, recalling her earlier accidents that had delayed and distracted her from continuing with her decluttering.

"Well, after tidying up _your_ mess, yes I rather did." She leaned back into the counter,taking a large sip from the glass. "No thanks to _you_!"

"Yeah, well, what can I say? I'm irresistible!" She took a step closer to Serena, who chuckled at the adamancy in the statement.

"Hm, quite." Serena set the glass down and wrapped her arms around Serena, pulling away slightly to look her in the eyes. "Although, I'd also say 'irresponsible' was appropriate?" She laughed, falling back into Bernie's embrace.

Serena now lay in bed, surprised at how stressful tackling the wardrobe had been. She pulled the soft blankets around her further, wishing she could have stayed in the warmth of the bath for longer before it began to cool to an uncomfortable temperature and forced her out.

The bedside lamp glowed softly into the room, lighting the book in her hand a pale yellow. Hearing the familiar rhythm of Bernie's footsteps climbing the stairs, she pulled back the covers on the opposite side and continued to read when the door slowly opened.

Bernie sighed contently and climbed in beside her, shivering at the bitter cold of the sheets and Serena lifted her arm, inviting Bernie closer, though still engrossed in the pages of her novel. She instantly shuffled nearer, snuggling down further into Serena, who tugged the fluffy blanket lovingly around the other woman, eyes still firmly on the book. Bernie wrapped her arm around her middle, trying desperately to cling closer and steal her attention, resting her heavy head against Serena's upper arm, peering over to the page too.

"Is your book any good?" She mumbled, fatigued and suddenly a lot more comfortable.

"Mm," She put the book to the side and responded to the nuzzling of Bernie, cuddling into the other woman, her heart swelling at the tranquility of the scene and contently smiled at how perfect life had become.


	8. Sometimes, One Conversation's Enough

Serena muttered to herself, balancing her bag between her knees carefully, rummaging through her belongings for the key to the office. She hummed in triumph, aware that the hot plastic cup held tightly between her teeth was threatening to wobble out of her grasp, and quickly relieved the door to take it back into her hand. She was well aware that today was not going to be one of the more positive of her career, judging by both the schedule for the day and the mood she was in, despite trying to remain as optimistic as possible. When the surgeon had arrived on AAU that morning, she had grumbled curses from the time of entering the ward until she had closed the door firmly behind her in the shared office, blocking out the chaos that ensued outside, just for a little longer…

It was 8am and the unit was already buzzing with energy. Well, that's what Bernie would say. Usually, they'd walk into the formal disorder together, holding hands, and, if tired or feeling particularly negative like today, Serena's grip would tighten at the prospects of the day. Bernie would remain calm, laughing inwardly and pull her slightly closer.

"It's buzzing with energy, Serena. Fluttering with activity!"

Serena smiled at the thought. Said partner-in-crime had been on a night shift and, therefore, was absent today. The more the brunette thought about the ridiculous notion that she was, in fact, missing her, the more it seemed to make sense. They were rarely apart at work, mostly on the same shifts, and were certainly inseparable outside of the workplace; she felt so much lighter, so much happier in the presence of Bernie, Serena Campbell was truly in love.

Maybe that's why today seemed to have such a dreary outlook. Without Bernie, the day was going to feel longer, the paperwork feel heavier, the patients more difficult to diagnose and a trickier task to operate on. Serena had forgotten a time without Ms Wolfe's attendance on AAU, and she didn't want to revisit the idea. The co-leading had alleviated such a pressure from her- a stress she wasn't even aware of until she had been forced to acknowledge it when Jason had become a police matter. Bernie had been there then, too. She had been the one to take control and calm her down.

After finally setting her coffee down on her side of the desk, Serena began to sift through the files she had, now regrettably, dumped in frustration at the end of a long shift the day before. On the second to last file, she noticed a green note, scribbled and planted between the coloured folders.

 _Told you to sort these before you left. Bet you're regretting it now! Shame I'm not there to help, I would've taken half for you… Love you xxx_

Serena laughed out loud at the message- it would have usually become alarmingly concerning at how well somebody else could read her, but with Bernie it had felt natural from day one. Retrieving her phone, she tapped out a belated reply.

 _Berenice, what makes you think you'd be able to take on my admin when you can't even organise your own! Love you too, by the way xxx_

She dropped her bag down heavily to the floor, spinning the desk chair to sit down but pausing to recognise a rhythm against the wooden surface, picking up her phone and answering the vibrating device that glowed with the familiar number.

"What?" Serena huffed, pretending to be at an inconvenience but trying to suppress the delight in her voice, an emotion that often emerged when talking to her partner.

"Don't pretend to be pissed off with me, Fraulein. You're just moody because I'm not there." She teased, though fatigue was evident in her tone.

"Excuse me, but I am doing just fine here without you!"

"You haven't stepped out of the office yet, have you?"

There was a pause, as Serena looked around the room, amazed that Bernie seemed so aware of the surgeon's surroundings without being anywhere nearby.

"I'll take that as a no?" Bernie chuckled, and Serena heard a soft thud, presumably Bernie falling back against the pillows of their bed.

"You sound tired." Serena started, ignoring the previous comment.

"That's because I've just spent the last 8 hours where you are now! Well, I've _actually_ been out taking the roll of the doctor and _treating_ patients but… don't try to change the subject anyway. I take it you got my note then?"

"Yeah," Serena smiled again at the reminder of the gesture. It had been so simple but lifted Serena's spirits in a way nobody else could. "Of course, if you insist and you want me to leave you half of the cases here…?" Her voice trailed off, mischief weaved into every word of the suggestion.

"Nice try, Ms Campbell!" She barked back with humour, causing a greater smile to stretch across Serena's face. "Anyway, you better actually start your day! Don't waste any more time talking to me, go on, go and save lives!" She laughed, knowing Serena was dreading the proposition, her comment earning a reluctant and hefty exhale down the phone.

"Listen, the amount of time you spend staring at me on a daily basis, Major, you're in no position to talk about wasting clinical time!" She retorted with a giggle. Bernie mocked a hurt gasp, laughing herself.

"Alright, I deserved that one, Serena. But it doesn't mean I'm sorting any of your paperwork. Guilt doesn't work on me." Bernie replied confidently, but Serena wasn't convinced.

"We'll see…" She faded, smiling. "I can see why you preferred the army!"

"Yeah, but it's a lot nicer having an actual office, even if it does require three different filing cabinets."

"And sharing with me?"

"An occupational hazard." Bernie softly, swiftly replied.

Serena exclaimed, playfully, "You're not fooling anyone, Ms Wolfe."

"No, but you love me all the same."

"Hm, unfortunately for you." She teased, grabbing her stethoscope. Hearing Bernie's voice, having a conversation like the ones they'd usually have in person on a day like today comforted the surgeon. _But please, not the red phone today._

"You really do need to start actually treating patients now. Go and give Morven a break!"

"…speak later though, yeah? Try and get some sleep. You must be shattered."

"Mm, the red phone rang twice last night. Two RTCs in one shift." Serena could tell the blonde was beginning to drift off into an unconscious state from the longer pauses and deeper tone.

"Oh, Bernie." She sympathised with her girlfriend, knowing how exhausting one trauma event could be on the surgeons involved, let alone two in one shift. "Look, ring me when you wake up."

"Serena? I love you." Her voice was thick with fatigue, as she mumbled from the pillow.

"I love you too." Serena whispered, ending the call and heading out onto the floor with a smile.


	9. A Day At The Beach (Or Not)

"It is _definitely_ not this way, Bernie." Serena stopped short at the top of the narrow, stony track. Bernie spun around in front of her on hearing the firm stomp to her partner's halt.

"No, it is! Promise." Bernie cocked her head, holding her hand out for the other woman, pulling an innocent expression that caused Serena to drop her gaze, attempting to conceal her smirk. "See? That's the sea…" Bernie pointed far out to the glistening sapphire horizon, a few dark specks settled on the definite line between the deeper ocean and the bright azure skyline. "And that path leads us all the way down to the beach!" She exclaimed, as her finger trailed back from the stretch of saltwater, up the dusty footpath and returned to reach out for Serena. It was such a perfect day; the sun was luminous in the cloudless skies, the soft, constant breeze cool against the comfortable heat of the summer day.

Serena huffed heavily, trying to emphasise any reluctance, but was outdone by the smile that crept onto her lips as she joined her hand with the medic's.

"Trust me," Bernie whispered, pulling her closer and into her embrace, making their way further into the winding trail before Serena had a chance to back out again.

"Coast or countryside?" Serena asked a few minutes later. So far, so good. The pathway had widened slightly to reveal a hardened track. The previously overgrown nettles had retreated further back into the sides and so far, remained clear of uneasy stones in the natural and rugged path; Serena was a little more hopeful that the directions of her Major had been correct.

"Depends," Bernie answered, tightening her grips on the interlinking fingers held by her side so casually. "Ideally to live? Coast, absolutely. Can you imagine waking to a beautiful beach on your doorstep every day? Of course, it'd have to be a secluded part of the shore- something tells me you wouldn't be very accepting of the tourism in the summer!" she chuckled, pulling Serena closer to wrap an arm around her waist.

"Point well made, Ms Wolfe." she laughed softly, as they continued down the stretch of their route, their footsteps synchronised.

"Ha, we're practically marching, Major." Serena gazed down to the ground before them, watching their steps remain perfectly balanced.

"I prefer this with you." Bernie softly smiled at her soft brown gaze. "This is perfect."

Serena nodded back, pulling her eyes away from the medic to gaze over the top of the brambles to the nearing tide. Bernie was right; it was perfect. Glancing further down the path, the couple were alone. There was a tranquil, natural melody of the soft breeze tickling the branches, rustling the vibrant leaves and the chirping of animate birds in the trees. The smooth hush of the nearby tide fluctuated in volume, crashing heavily one moment and existing in a shimmer of whispers as the current dragged intensely against the tiny pebbles of the shore.

They turned a sharp corner in the path, the rural hedging becoming denser and unruly as they continued. Serena became wary of the nettles that threatened to creep to the middle of the track and the thick brambles that inched further over their heads.

"Ah," The medic slowed to a halt, sighing heavily.

"Ah, yes. It appears to be a dead end." Serena elaborated on the defiant exasperation from her partner. She pulled away slightly, folding her arms to look challengingly at the blonde, raising her eyebrows in an 'I told you so' manner. Bernie recognised this from many consultations on AAU whereby Serena had come to a firm conclusion of a diagnosis, or- more commonly- called the specific attitudes of a patient to be doubted by the blonde and proven right later in the day.

Here it was again.

Bernie held her hands up in defeat, as she looked back over to the metal barriers that prevented the doctors from continuing.

"In my defence," Bernie began, smiling pathetically at her. "It would have been the way, if it weren't for…" she squinted at the sign strung to the wires. " _recent developments along the coastline involving dangerous cliff formations,_ we would actually be on our way down to the breath-taking coastal views! So, I was not _wrong,_ before you say it. I just… misjudged the situation." Her argument was met with a radiant smile from Serena and the rising sound of laughter she adored so much.

Serena shivered briskly, looking up to a clouded sky that shaded the trail they now stood at the bottom of.

"Hm, well, let's turn back up and see what we can do." She grabbed hold of Bernie's hand and began to energetically tread up the slightly incline, Bernie catching up to hold onto her.

"Well, the way up isn't quite as relaxi-" Serena took short breaths as she came to an unannounced stop, but was interrupted by a thought that shot through her like electric. "Did you feel that?" she swiped a hand out in front of her, palm up and flat out to the air.

Bernie nodded, "Rain?"

"How can the weather change so quickly?" But as if in answer, the rapidly darkening and denser clouds above them opened up, cold droplets falling swiftly to the ground, accelerating in speed and frequency, as Bernie's eyes widened to the sudden drop in temperature and the brutal shiver of her partner, who had responded to the downpour with a concoction of curses.

Bernie reached into the small bag she'd prepared for the fleecy, burgundy picnic blanket and hastily wrapped it over Serena, who instinctively pulled her closer to share the cover, and they shuffled out of the direct deluge of rainwater to under the overgrowing brush.

It wasn't even the turn of weather that had annoyed Bernie. She wasn't angry, just disappointed in the turn of events. She loved the rain, had missed the pitter patter when away from Holby but this- this was just _crap._ They'd had such a perfect day planned, a beautifully golden day on the sand. But, like everything else, there seemed to be a hidden agenda to their plans by a greater force than their own.

She was snapped back into reality at the growing shriek of laughter next to her. She turned, confused.

"What?" Bernie tried not to snap, but what was so amusing about the tremendous cock up of their day? Never mind being on the beach in the rain- they couldn't even get down to the shore!

Serena leaned in to kiss Bernie softly, a smile faintly forming.

"I love you, Bernie." She smiled brilliantly, illuminating her own hazel eyes and gazing into the light pools of pale blue before her.

"I love you too," Bernie began, smiling. "Sorry," She grumbled, turning to meet Serena's eyes again after briefly glancing to the tall grass they were stood amongst.

"For what?! Major, as perfect as you are, even _you_ cannot predict the weather. Let's just say, next time, we'll have to check the weather forecast by _the hour_ and make sure we can actually reach the destination… but apart from that? Perfect. Because it's just us."


	10. A Difficult Day

"I just don't understand what his issue was!" Serena threw her arms up in the air as she stormed to the car, huffing in frustration, only to turn and have to wait for Bernie to stroll behind her to unlock the door. "Ah, I remember!" She sarcastically exclaimed and held a finger up in mock inspiration, leaning against the frosty metal side and glaring into the tired eyes of her girlfriend. "It was because I was a _woman!_ And he just couldn't stand the fact that, heaven forbid, his surgery should be performed without the presence of a Y chromosome!" Serena's rant grew in volume as she continued, until she was practically yelling.

Bernie yanked open the passenger door, "In. _Now._ " She firmly spoke, pointing to the seat and glaring into eyes level with hers, receiving another murmur as she flopped into the car with little care for elegance.

Bernie knew it had been a difficult shift- and a long one at that. Serena had mentioned frequently in the previous days of her growing admin tasks, and had agreed to take the morning as non-clinical to organise her space a bit, although she knew she'd end up sifting through Bernie's paperwork too. That didn't bother Serena; they were a perfect team and had supported one another from day one.

This plan, as ever, had fallen through just 40 minutes after it had begun. The red phone had announced the arrival of an impaled victim and whisked Bernie away to prepare for the emergency. Serena had reluctantly stepped in to manage the floor, but had become tangled in concerns for an elderly patient's welfare and had ended the shift an hour later than expected, due to an internal bleed that had been particularly difficult to control. On top of these trials of her day, Serena had also clashed with a 'stuck-up, sexist sumph'- as she had so graciously put it- who had resisted surgery on the basis that she was female.

Bernie had strode back into AAU triumphantly, after successfully tackling the complex challenges of the surgery she'd rushed away for earlier. Her hand had been hovering on the office door when she'd first heard the sharp, irked voice of her partner.

"Mr. Hasleigh, contrary to your _clearly_ outdated and ludicrous beliefs, I am more than capable of performing your surgery. If you refuse, there is simply nothing we can do about your condition or the pain that will no doubt continue to worsen so-" Serena spun around at the sound of the curtain swishing back, to the blonde standing behind her, arms folded and a curious gaze set in her wide, fatigued eyes.

"Ms. Campbell," She firmly addressed her, trying not to smirk at the heavy exhale and narrowed eyes, clearly at the end of her tether. "Shall we?" Serena followed her, as she retreated to their office, not bothering to look back at the troublesome patient.

"What was that about?" Bernie leant against the door she'd just closed, directing Serena to sit in the chair before her. Like a sulking child, she slumped back into the chair, sighing again.

"Wouldn't you just _love_ to tell some patients what you think- what you _actually_ think?" She replied, exhausted by the day's events. "That delightful _pillock_ won't agree to surgery because I'd be doing it!" A hysterical, short bark of laughter followed from Serena, as she looked up to the confused expression of her girlfriend.

"Don't take it personally, Serena. We all get difficult patients. I'll do it, if you want?"

"Ah," Serena's eyes widened, ignited by the real fuel of the conflict. "That won't make a difference, Major. Because it's not _me_ necessarily. It's the fact that I'm not a bloke!" She leaned forward, and Bernie pursed her lips, acknowledging the problem, and more obviously, Serena's annoyance at the situation. She knew that not only would she have to deal with the character in person, but would also hear of Serena's clear opinions for much longer, when they returned home.

And that's exactly what was happening now. The couple had arrived home a good half an hour ago, though to Bernie it felt like a few hours, and Serena was still charging around the kitchen, rattling off her argument. But Bernie was sure that had been the fourth time she'd heard of his initial comment when she had greeted the patient, and had unintentionally released a deep exhaling of her own in a pause to the continuous raving.

Serena turned around from the counter to meet Bernie's soft smile as she sat at the kitchen table, wine glass in hand. The brunette's figure sagged, releasing the tension she had built up through her ranting and smiled back, her wide brown eyes softening to meet her fatigued gaze.

"Sorry," she whispered in her own exhaled breath.

"It's really got to you, hasn't it?" Bernie put the wine glass down as Serena walked over to her, sitting on her lap, arms wrapped around Bernie's neck gently.

"Yeah, and I don't _actually_ know why. I've come across plenty of bigots in my time. But he- he just hit a nerve on the wrong day!" She chuckled lowly, resting her head against Bernie's shoulder as she felt two strong arms pull her closer around the middle.

"Just don't ever lose that fire, Serena Campbell." She looked up to the surgeon, meeting a quizzical look, searching for an explanation. "That's what I love about you. Your determination to put the world to rights. _Granted_ it can become a tad difficult to control at times, but I love it all the same." She reached up slightly to kiss her, before setting her down and leading into the comfort of the living room.

"Did you manage to get anything done today?" Bernie asked cautiously as she pulled Serena down onto the sofa and into her side, head resting on the blonde's chest.

"Not really. Although I did find that key you'd lost last month. It was under your desk." She mumbled, instantly melting into the comfort and warmth of her partner, who had carefully placed the fuzzy throw over them too.

"What were you doing down there?" She giggled, teasingly.

"Well, some clever soul decided to stack _eleven_ files on top of one another!" She lifted her head slightly to look up to the accused. "What, did you actually think they'd balance there? Anyway, they didn't. And that's what I was doing on the floor." Serena replied, her voice low and tired, snuggling further into her side.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

A mumble came as a reply, and Bernie relaxed back, momentarily closing her eyes and absorbing the content silence.

"Wait, which key?" She leant up slightly "For the office, or for the car?" Bernie smiled, realising how ridiculous it was that she'd had to ask. How many keys could a responsible adult lose in the space of four weeks?!

Silence came as a reply, and Bernie leant over cautiously to find Serena curled up against her, eyes closed and breathing deeply. Her heart swelled at the other woman, so stubborn, so strong-willed, literally to the point of exhaustion.


	11. Discussions In The Dark

**Thank you so much for all of your reviews and follows to this collection! They all mean so much and give me the boost to carry on with the writing. I'm really enjoying it but if anyone has any prompt suggestions, please drop me a message! Thanks again!**

"But what if it _was?"_

Serena supressed a sigh, aware that Bernie was close to her and would be able to pick up on the irritated reaction but she was irritated, nonetheless. It had been two hours since they'd turned out the light and settled down to sleep, Bernie cuddled into the brunette's side and all was well, better actually, Serena had thought at the time. She was comfortable, both physically (her back no longer twinging as it had done earlier that week) and emotionally. She'd never felt more content and, well, safer. Securer, which was ironic considering the trials the pair had been through in declaring their love.

That was until Bernie sparked an inspiration in her philosophical state, and decided to share her inner thoughts with Serena beside her, who had begun to drop off into a slumber.

"What if it was _what_?" Serena's voice was sweet, but clipped, hoping Bernie may get the message and close her eyes herself.

"Have you even been listening to me?" Bernie tugged at the dozy surgeon's middle, pulling her closer and waking her all the same. "What if there is actually a subconscious _something_ inside of us all, so we actually know what we're going to do a long time before we do it?" Bernie propped herself up on her elbow, peering over Serena's shoulder, waiting for a response.

At this moment in time- 23:48 to be precise, the question put forth just seemed to be a jumble of words that had effortlessly tumbled to Serena's earshot. She wasn't really listening, not that she wouldn't have enjoyed a non-medical conversation earlier in the evening, instead of discussing the trauma unit's budget over dinner. But now? She was knackered, and Serena Campbell was not a nice person when she was deprived of sleep.

No reply came and Bernie flopped back down onto the mattress with a soft thump, making the bed shake slightly and sighed loudly, trying to attract as much attention from Serena as possible. She had seen her eyes flitter so was confident Serena was blatantly ignoring her rather than contemplating an answer or dreaming.

A moment of silence passed, Bernie staring with wide eyes up to the smooth ceiling above her, flat on her back.

"Serena?" She quietly whispered, not moving from her position.

" _What?!"_ The irked shriek made her jump slightly, as Serena turned quickly to face her lover.

"Uh, sorry."

"Well what?" Serena's tone remained bothered, but had lowered in volume, aware that Jason was in the room next door and the walls were like paper.

"Nothing," Bernie rolled over, leaving her girlfriend talking to her back. "It's fine." Serena mumbled, cursing at the stubbornness of her partner and feeling partly guilty for the reaction she'd given. Serena yawned, her turn to crash on her back into the soft pillows and gaze upwards. It was when she heard a vague murmur from the other side of the bed, Serena turned back over to wrap her arms around Bernie's stomach, pulling her back into her embrace.

"I'm sorry, Darling." she softly whispered into Bernie's ear, feeling her place her hand on Serena's in acknowledgment.

"I don't mean to go on. It's- it's just difficult to get to sleep sometimes. I just feel to restless tonight!" She splayed her legs out in a burst of frustration, like a child. "And then I get these stupid thoughts and…I, I just need to talk. To you." Slowly, Bernie turned in Serena's arms, facing her, inches from each other.

"It's fine, honestly. I was just getting uptight about tomorrow…" Serena trailed off, regretting the mention of the hospital, wanting to avoid the subject.

"I forgot we were on early." Bernie huffed, "It doesn't look like AAU will be a very peaceful ward tomorrow, does it?" she chuckled, kissing the brunette locks on the top of Serena's head that now nestled by head shoulder.

"What's that mean?" the response came innocently, though she knew exactly what she meant.

"Serena, you're bad enough with 10 hours sleep, let alone 5!" Bernie laughed lowly, as Serena looked up to her. "I don't just get you those coffees because I love you, you know. It's mainly for the benefit of the ward!"

Bernie received a playful swat to her side, and cuddled into her partner.

"Well, it's nice to know I'm loved, Ms Wolfe. And regardless of your true intentions, I appreciate the coffee- every time." Serena's eyes were growing heavier, stinging a little with each lingering blink.

Bernie smiled into the darkness, "One more question…" her voice had a glint of hope in it that Serena couldn't ignore.

"I'll indulge you this time, Major. As long as you make it an extra large coffee in the morning?"

"Deal." She squeezed Serena's hand tightly before proceeding. "Well, you know the whole 'true love' thing? Do you believe in it? Because, at one point I thought I was really in love with Marcus, obviously, because you know me, I don't tend to commit very often… but it never worked out quite like I imagined. And with you, it just feels so different. _Completely_ different. But that makes me wonder when you know, you know?" Bernie ran her hand over Serena's back, resting her cheek to the top of her head.

"Hit the nail on the head there," Serena sighed, though exhausted she knew she had to answer fully this time. Generally, a simple nod of the head and mumble in agreement would suffice for a midnight query, but this was a lot more important to them both compared to the impending doom that may or may not occur in their lifetime.

"Oh, I don't know if there is a 'true' love. I loved Edward, but things changed. He changed, I changed. We drifted apart, but to be honest, we were never more than a couple. Things _are_ completely unalike with you. But that's because we were best friends before we were lovers, Bernie. Our relationship is based off a friendship and that makes it so much stronger."

"I love you," Bernie whispered to her, though dark Serena could detect the relief and contentment in her voice.

"I love you too. I can't think of many people I'd stay up half the night with, debating matters of the heart." Serena laughed softly, snuggling deeper into her. Her eyelids really were defying gravity now. "I'm going to fall asleep in a minute." She mumbled into Bernie's soft top, her eyes shut.

"Well, thank God for that! You're keeping me up, with all that talking!" Bernie sarcastically chimed, grinning to herself as she shuffled down below the quilt, receiving a forceful thump to her upper arm.

"You deserved that."

"Whatever, Fraulein."


	12. When You're Gone

"It's only for a few days, Serena…" Bernie reasoned, holding the steaming cup of tea up to her lips, legs curled up tight to her chest, as she huddled in the chair closest to her partner's desk.

A heavy sigh came from Serena, as she spun her own chair around to face her.

"I know, it's just, well it's just not fair, is it?" Bernie laughed at the petulant comment, untangling herself from the position and perching on the edge of the desk, standing directly in front of, and over, her.

"Now, that's not the attitude of a co-clinical lead, is it Ms Campbell?" she teased, setting the mug down on the desk and reaching for her hands, intertwining their fingers.

Serena looked up to the smirk on the blonde and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly in response.

"It's a budget conference, Major. I can't think of anyone less suited for the trip!" she gestured to the ever-increasing mountain of paperwork, piled on every surface of the army medic's desk and was met with a grin.

"What can I say? I'm thrilled at the opportunity!" Bernie's tone dripping with sarcasm, and shot a knowing look to her partner, who beckoned her forward. The blonde moved to sit on the Serena's lap.

"Well, I'm going to miss you, anyway." Serena softly wrapped her arms into a soft embrace, resting her head against the blonde's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. "And anyway, who's going to keep me sane _here!_ Seriously! If that red phone rings, their outlook is going to be a lot bleaker when they've got me around!" Serena laughed, bouncing her knees slightly.

"It's for one night!" Bernie chuckled. She loved how openly expressive Serena had become in the past few months. They had both been so guarded to begin with: with their relationship being known, with their affection, with their emotions… for the first time in a long time, Bernie Wolfe was sure enough to share her own feelings too.

"But I'm going to miss you too." She dropped a kiss to the brunette locks below her. "And as for this place," she whispered "just drink lots of coffee when you're here, and lots of shiraz when you're not. Although if I have any drunken calls, declaring your undying love for me at 3am, I will _not_ be impressed."

Serena looked up to the knowing expression set deep in her eyes.

"That was one time! And absolutely not my fault…" Serena returned to her original position of comfort and cuddled into Bernie's side affectionately.

"Right you are, Fraulein."

Serena woke, squinting at the harsh light that intruded the room, confused as to how it could shine in so strongly when the curtains were…closed.

 _Berenice Bloody Wolfe_

The brunette screwed up her eyes at the strong sunlight invading the bedroom, sitting up to look around. No Bernie… but of course, she had left early for the train. Serena huffed at remembering the fact that her partner wouldn't be around for the next two days, and dreaded what it would bring. She flopped back down onto the pillow carelessly and laughed. When had Serena Campbell become so dependent on somebody else?! _It must be love_ she thought, before turning over to block out the dazzling rays that persisted in lighting up the room.

She flung an arm out across Bernie's side on the bed, taking advantage of the extra space she had acquired in her absence, and felt something rustle under her arm. Lifting her head, she found a small note on her pillow, and retrieved it.

 _Remember, it's only one night. You're only jealous I'm spending the time with Hanssen! Love you xxx_

She smiled fondly at the remark, reading it in Bernie's charmingly flirtatious voice. Now fully awake, she pulled herself up and reached for her phone.

 ** _You_** _opened the curtains…not pleased xxx_

Before setting the device back down, her phone pinged with a reply.

 ** _You_** _opened that second bottle last night, that's why you're grumpy, Campbell xxx_

She laughed openly at the response, now acknowledging the fact that she'd insisted on opening – and drinking the majority of- two, quite large, bottles of red wine the previous evening.

 _My, that was a prompt reply, Major. Hanssen must be boring you already! xxx_

She began to get up, her routine becoming fragmented and delayed by the continuing conversation.

 _I was just keen to talk to you! He says hello by the way…_

The guilty-looking emoji beside the comment inferred that he'd seen the message and Serena cursed slightly at the idea, before laughing at how much worse that scenario could have been if he'd seen various other conversations.

 _Keep an eye on her, Henrik._

Making her way downstairs, mentally rearranging ideas in her mind and structuring her day's intended plan, Serena almost missed the paper stuck to the kitchen door.

 _It'll be a miracle if you see this, considering how stressed you usually are in the mornings! Remember, when in doubt, take a breather, have a coffee. Have a good day xxx_

Serena was positively grinning now, stunned at how well her girlfriend could read her. Was she just so obviously transparent of her feelings, or did it take a special someone to recognise it when she wasn't anywhere nearby?

 _You're amazing xxx_

She typed out the reply quickly, before heading out of the door. It had been a while since Serena had managed AAU on her own, and, honestly, she had been dreading it: the endless rounds of the ward, the monotonous paperwork, the continuous anxiety of a major trauma… But now? Now, Serena was ready to grab whatever the day brought with both hands. She was ready to take on anything and everything, because she still had her best friend by her side, regardless of where she physically was.


	13. That Someone Who Makes Everything Okay

**Hi,**

 **Sorry for the VERY delayed update- life's been a pain and got in the way of my fictional escape! Anyway, quite a short oneshot this time. However, I'm running low on the whole 'idea' front at the moment so any prompts would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for the reviews, views and follows. It really does mean a lot. Enjoy! X**

Serena hated days like this; AAU was hectic, each bed accompanied by a patient with a seemingly mysterious bundle of symptoms and the lack of diagnosis across the board made the surgeon feel like each one of them was spiralling around in an endless circle of observations and further tests. Setting down at the nurses' stations, she ran her delicate fingers through her hair and sighed exasperatingly. It had been a difficult night whereby Serena had forgotten it was, in fact, a Thursday- _not_ a Wednesday- and had prepared a cottage pie that now sat at the bottom of a bin liner because Jason had kicked off about the abnormality to their routine. An awful prospect sprung to the forefront of her thoughts- the vast amount of paperwork that had to be completed, threatening to jump into her bag and ruin the whole weekend if it wasn't sorted by the end of her shift.

Bernie loved days like this: The fast pace of their work and the glowing satisfaction she got from the swift efficiency of their work. She had been in and out of surgery all day, scoping from minor procedures to seemingly simple operations that had turned into something a great deal trickier. Nevertheless, the day had been successful (so far) and, as she strode back onto the ward, she acknowledged her fatigue. This was the type of exhaustion that kept her alive. It _did_ feel never-ending sometimes, for the continuous supply of patients from the ED, but it kept her busy, kept her going. Bernie liked busy.

Bernie scanned the ward for her partner, hoping that, now the admissions had calmed down, HMS AAU would be on smoother waters for a while. Once she'd gained sight of Serena, she found she was in her own bubble of concentration, writing vigorously with a determined frown on her face as conversations played out all around her. Bernie smiled softly at the sight from across the room and could almost hear her stressed monologue from this distance. She continued to observe when abruptly, the surgeon stood up, pushing her way past Raf and storming (elegantly, Bernie appreciated) into their shared office, leaving the door ajar.

Taking her opportunity, she moved across the room. She had hardly seen Serena since they parted ways this morning, taking on a different set of new patients each. Last night had been very…tense, to say the least. The only thing that had kept Serena from being completely short and totally off with Jason for the entire night had been the fact that Bernie had taken over in the kitchen for her to retreat to have a long bath.

Bernie pushed open the door and nudged it to close again, silently. (Loud shoes weren't her thing) to find Serena staring at the wall, hands on her hips. She proceeded, not intentionally silent, but noiselessly all the same, and slowly snaked her arms through the loops of Serena's arms, around her middle. Almost instantly, her tense posture relaxed, melting into Bernie's strong hold, softening back into the support.

"Are you okay?" Bernie mumbled, her heading resting on Serena's shoulder.

A gentle sigh followed, partially irritated at the reminder of her troubles, partly frustration because she was now aware her reactions had been noticed by everyone else, but mainly a sigh of relief that Bernie was there. For her. And her heart warmed at the thought.

"Yep," Serena turned in her arms, hands on her waist, so their tired expressions were level. "I just want to go home," She hummed, as her head fell against Bernie's shoulder at being tugged closer to the blonde.

"Not long now, Darling." Bernie had rarely seen her girlfriend running so low on energy. Serena was usually the one who kept _her_ going and always seemed to be buzzing with a certain, indestructible energy that no amount of surgery, no arrogant F1 or disruptive patient could counter. Whatever happened, Serena Campbell soldiered on, albeit with a tad more sarcasm and slightly shorter temper- but always carried on. They stood there, pure serenity for a moment.

"You do realise it's fish and chips night tonight, don't you?" Bernie added, kissing her dark hair.

"That- Major- has just made my day." Serena chuckled, pulling apart. Bernie's smiled mirrored Serena's lips that had turned up into the widest smile she'd mustered all day. Of course, it would have been a complicated and demanding day, regardless, but the wavering physical presence of Ms Wolfe on the ward had made the day a little less tolerable.

Serena laughed internally. Since when did she rely on anyone else? Ah, the question was answered almost instantly as Bernie's eyes set on hers. It was Bernie, simple. Her best friend, her partner in crime, her lover. The only person who could see through her façade and raise her lowest of spirits. The single woman who could make her smile when she was close to tears and wipe away her troubles in one smooth move.

"I love-" Bernie began, but the sentence halted as Serena leapt up to kiss her, the blonde tottering slightly at the unexpected, sudden force.

They pulled away slightly, Serena's arms now resting around Bernie's neck but her hold still tight on the brunette's middle.

"I know." She smiled back, before reaching up slightly to kiss her softly again.


	14. Sharing is Caring, Sort Of

**Happy Valentine's Day! Here's some more fluff! X**

"Berenice _Wolfe_ ," Serena grunted, tugging with all her might at the cream blanket the pair were _supposed_ to be sharing. The cursing that followed from the vascular surgeon was due to the fact that the majority of said cover was folded under Bernie as she curled over dozily, pulling it with her.

A disturbed murmur came as a response.

"You would have regretted actually speaking those words, Ms Wolfe." Serena volleyed in back at the presumably offensive mumble.

"Doubt it." she muttered back from the depths of the pillow, eyes fluttering.

Serena jumped up in an energetic burst, swatting Bernie's arm playfully as she passed.

"Really?" Her tone strained as she grabbed a firmer hold on the fabric and wrested it forcefully, taking a determined stance.

"No," Bernie grumbled, and wrapped her body around the blanket one more. Serena muttered internally at the seemingly effortless motion of her girlfriend that had set her success back.

A brief wave of sheer annoyance rushed through the surgeon, but, realising her immaturity, swept from the room into the kitchen. Bernie opened one eye fully, recognising her partner had left the room and silence ensued. Debating whether she should move to investigate, a few moments passed before the low bubble of the kettle could be heard from the other room and Bernie fell back into her relaxed position, laughing at the typically British 'When in doubt, have a brew' notion of Serena Campbell.

She heard the soft thudding of footsteps on the stairs and followed the sound transferring from the landing to their bedroom, slightly confused at what Serena was up to, but before she could consider acting on her suspicions, heard the footsteps descend once again.

Expecting her to return to the room in approximately 4 seconds (according to Jason's observations earlier that week), Bernie resumed her original idle arrangement, closing her eyes slightly, to peek from under her arm at Serena. Her head perked up at the deep clattering in the other room, giggling silently at the excessive noise produced from the actions of the petulant woman.

Finally, Serena flounced back into the living room, and Bernie opened one eye cautiously to observe what the results of her movements entailed.

"Aw, did I win then?" Bernie teased, lifting her head, grinning mischievously.

"No, in fact, Major, I'm much happier on my _own."_ She spun to face her, poking her tongue out like a child, at the disapproving expression on Bernie's face.

"Not me you have to convince…" She trailed off, smiling as she ducked her head on the arm rest, still looking up to her lover.

"I don't have to share…" Serena flapped another blanket out in front of Bernie's facing, the soft hem tickling her nose, and spread it out on the armchair across from the sofa she'd previously been residing on with the medic. "This one's bigger as well." She whispered, smirking.

"I don't have to worry about getting crumbs everywhere…" Again, Serena picked up a packet of cookies, knowing they were much-loved by Bernie, and placed them on the arm rest, far out of reach from the sofa. She chuckled at the visibly attacked expression of her girlfriend, smiling menacingly.

"Serves you right!" Serena exclaimed, trying to push away the growing feeling of guilt.

"Yeah, but you don't go by halves!" Bernie pulled the cover over her head, Serena smiling fondly as she knew a similar beam was plastered on the blonde's face.

"I did, however, make you a cup of tea." Bernie heard the familiar clatter of her heavy china mug onto the glass coaster. Like a child coming being bribed by confectionery, she lifted the blanket reluctantly.

"Ah, she _does_ have a heart!" she chuckled, receiving a deathly shot from across the room.

"Oi," Serena flumped back into the arm chair, tangling the blanket around her and loudly rustling with the biscuits, smirking at Bernie's perked reaction.

"Serena…" Bernie smiled sweetly as she called her name. Though difficult, Serena restrained and shook her head at the silent request for a bicky.

"Should have thought of that one, Major." The retort was answered with a long grumble, before she got up and lapped the coffee table, taking the long way around to stand before her girlfriend.

"No!" Serena squawked at the discomfort, holding the cookies far out when Bernie clambered on top of her. "Bernie, sod off!" She couldn't help but laugh at the scene playing out in front of her. Never had she met such an infantile woman, but loved the novelty, care-free side to domestic Bernie. A side few people saw.

"No. I'm staying here now." Bernie adamantly claimed, rearranging the blanket again, pushing herself down into the tiny crevice between Serena and the armrest, tangling their limbs. They stayed motionless for a minute, before Serena sighed heavily.

"Your elbow is in my back, Bernie."

"Good."

" _Okay._ You win!" Serena gave in and stood back up, holding her hand out to her partner and dragging her back to the longer sofa.

Bernie hummed in content triumph as she plopped back down in her original position, Serena cuddling back into her side as before, though half a packet of biscuits sat in her lap now and the second, darker throw was wrapped around them too.

"This is nice." Bernie softly spoke, trying to conceal the teasing in her voice. She genuinely meant it, but equally wanted to point out to Serena that s _he_ was right, yet again.

"Mm, but I tell you what, Major. Steal _this_ blanket from me as well, and you will most certainly know about it. Understood?" Serena firmly spoke, suppressing a smirk as she looked up, directly into Bernie's eyes.

"Right you are, Fraulein."


	15. Dreams

_**Get with it, Campbell**_ **Serena rubbed her eyes forcefully, the tiniest part of her logical thinking lost to the idea this would rid her of the heavy tiredness that plagued her day. It hadn't been very late when she'd fallen into a deep slumber, Bernie's arms wrapped protectively around her middle. So what was it? The subconscious workload? Age? Frustration took the better of the brunette as she tipped the coffee cup to her lips, slamming it down pathetically when she was greeted with the grainy dregs of this liquid saviour she'd forgotten that she had finished earlier.** **Curiosity crept into the vascular surgeon when she cast her mind back to the morning:**

Groaning as she rolled onto her side, Serena cursed at the alarm clock, swinging an arm aimlessly out towards the dresser table. Her aim, in finally silencing the piercing ringing, succeeded but also resulted in the plastic crashing to the floor, two smooth buttons bouncing across the floor in different directions. The momentary pain of the impact on Serena's wrist waking her quite suddenly, and in a worse mood than was usual at 6:30 AM.

The brunette tumbled further into the bed, realisation finally soaking through that she had reached the edge of the mattress, and hadn't encountered a certain blonde in the process. Yawning, Serena sat up, and it was then that her dream caught up with her as she recollected fragments of the storyline that had played out in her mind.

 _Looking out to the horizon, the vibrant, great sun sat halfway on the sea line, bright oranges burning fiercely from the centre, resonating to fill the skies with a soft peach glow. The ruffles of summer cloud reflected a similar hue to one side, a darker shade cast on the other. Serena didn't recognise where she was, as she cast her gaze across the vast sand dunes, their tall , swaying grass a silhouette to the mellow sky. Her eyes followed the craggy rockline of the cliff across the scattering sand, almost too perfect, for there was no sign of human interruption to the nature: no defined footprints nor morsel of plastic discarded on the shore._ _It was such a vivid scene, she could even hear the gentle hush of the minute waves, tumbling in from a tranquil ocean, the subtle motion of the waves glistening with the orange rays cast towards the sand. Behind her, the high grasses whistling quietly, swayed to the coastal breeze._ _Whatever happened next, Serena struggled to remember, pieces of the scene falling away like part of a jigsaw. How the following part of the storyline occurred, she'd never know. From out of nowhere, 4 hefty stacks of rock, presumably once part of the cliff that bordered the bay, Serena thought, sat out in the sea. They weren't too far out, just past where the stronger waves were cresting, so sat amongst the bobbing waters._ _Two grey seals swam around the rocks, before jumping up onto the two furthest away from each other. Serena watched as they called out loudly before jumping from the stations into the water on either side, disappearing under the water for a moment. She suspected the animals had swam away, but then witnessed four seals resume the same spots, each animal taking position on a rock and calling the same sounds, flapping around at each other._ _This was when things got really weird. The seal furthest left jumped back into the water briefly and sprung back with an enormous cabbage balanced on his nose, in the fashion of the stereotypical circus performing seal with a beach ball. He nudged it swiftly to the next seal who spun in around majestically and threw it over to the seal by his side. The group continued to volley the vegetable until the sun slowly set and left the animals as dark figures against an even darker sky._ _The last thing Serena distinctly remembers was digging her hands into her pockets, for the scene had become bitterly cold for a summer night, and retrieved a small card. A number was scribbled in rough red ink, the digits she recognised as Bernie's, in Bernie's familiar cursive but underneath, the name 'Arley' had been printed, again in the army medic's writing._

 **The brunette chuckled softly to herself at the novelty of the dream, still laughing at the mix matched, illogical nature to the story. An idea sprung to Serena's mind and , deciding she would put it to rest now, she began to tap into the computer.** **'Ocean dream meaning'** **Scanning through a couple websites attacking her with pop up adverts, she eventually found the answer: 'Representative of emotion. A calm sea acknowledges feeling empowered and having a positive outlook on life (at which Serena scoffed, given her slight trantrum this morning). Renewal with great confidence.** **The surgeon smiled at this, reflecting briefly on the optimistic connotations to the setting.** **'Seal dream meaning'** **Glancing out of the blind to the nurses station where her partner stood, Serena smiled thinking of Bernie's reaction if she ever read through her search engine. A further smile grew on the surgeon's face as she read: 'Playfulness and symbolism of success, faithfulness and security in love." Well, she most certainly did, Serena thought, glazing back over to the window.** **She took a deep breath, wondering if she was actually doing this, as Serena typed out the last enquiry, possibly the one of greatest curiosity.** **'Cabbage dream meaning'** **Not surprisingly, there were fewer results for the search, but scanning through, she managed to find her answer: 'Suggests not wasting time on petty decisions and concentrating on what is important'** **It hadn't taken a lot for Serena to clue this cryptic message to her relationship with Bernie. They hadn't made anything official, hidden it, in fact, when Serena thought about it. She sighed. At their age, should it matter what anyone else was thinking?** **Interrupting her contemplation, Bernie tumbled through the door, clutching a few folders, and set two coffees down on her desk.** **"You," Serena got up from her desk and walked over to where Bernie had settled the files and now leaned against the side of it. "are a life saver." And pulled her arms around the blonde, kissing her briefly.** **"Not bad for a doctor," The medic pulled her into a tighter hug, leaning over her to push the door to.** **Back at home, another quick thought pinged into the ever whirring mind of Serena Campbell and she pulled out her phone, tapping quickly before Bernie returned from refilling their glasses.** **'Arley name meaning' came back with an instant response that made Serena positively grin: 'Promise'** **"Everything okay, Fräulein?" Bernie mumbled, as she concentrated on keeping the glasses from spilling their rich contents onto the cream carpet of the living room, a sin Serena would have her guts for- not even for staining the floor, more for the wasting of wine.** **"Yep," Serena set the phone down, taking both glasses from the blonde who raised a knowing eye at the notion. Serena laughed, placing them on the table and retreating back, curling up on the sofa and to cuddle into Bernie again.**


	16. Fly on the Wall

**Bit of a short update this time, but had to do something considering it's a year today since "Engine been growling or whining?". A year?! Anyway, thank you so much for all your reviews, they really do mean a lot! Any prompts, please ping them my way! I'm running a bit low on ideas now I'm 16 chapters in... Enjoy! X**

"You're always causing the trouble and I'm the one who has to use my charm to stop things getting out of hand!" Serena's hand fell to her thigh, trying to remain as serious as possible in the situation.

"Look, he was asking for it! I haven't done anything negligent- wait is that what you call it? Charm?" Bernie narrowed her eyes challengingly across the office, as she sat back in the chair, crossing her arms.

"Seemed to work for you." she shot back, perching on the edge of the desk and mirroring Bernie as she crossed her arms too.

"Ah," Bernie jumped up, moving across the room to the surgeon. "That, Ms Campbell, is where you are wrong." She edged closer to Serena, one hand planted on either side of her on the desk. "I think you'll find it was my obvious irresistibility."

Serena smiled, wickedly, her eyes level with the blonde's, inches away.

"Yes, I seem to remember that when you buggered off to another country!" She took the chance to cut off the reply with a rapid kiss, before chuckling at her own quick wit. The pair had grown to use the previous incident as a learning curve and now just used it for light hearted mockery.

Serena tried to focus on the dilemma, reverting the conversation back to the problem at hand. "If you could just maybe-"

"Be a bit nicer to him? No chance!" Bernie stepped back before leaning back on the table too next to her partner. "Serena, he's a complete bigot! You didn't hear his comments, bloody idiot." Bernie mumbled the last part, as Serena wrapped her arm around the other woman's waist pulling her slightly closer- if actually possible- to which the blonde responded by resting her head against Serena's.

"No, but imagine all the paperwork you'll have to deal with if he puts in a complaint?"

"I'll just get you to do it."

"Will not!" Serena laughed, kissing her blonde curls.

"Yeah I will. If I leave it long enough, you'll get panicky that is hasn't been done and end up completing it all for me." Bernie lifted her head slightly, bluntly speaking, albeit with a sparkle of flirtation.

"We'll see about that, Major."

Bernie hummed in contentment.

"Can we stay like this please?" Bernie murmured innocently, her eyes becoming heavy.

"Patients to see, I'm afraid," But she made no conscious effort to move. "We shall soldier on!" Serena gave the medic a final squeeze around her middle before relaxing her hold, trying to slowly pull away.

"Not yet, it's not even busy out there."

"Bernie..." Serena played on the warning tone she reserved for times like this, knowing she was being tempted into something, usually aimed at Bernie. However, she did relax back onto the desk, this time wrapping both arms around her lover, allowing her to snuggle into the embrace.

"I love you, Serena."

Serena exhaled happily, finally losing the tensions that the shift so far built up in her, the majority of which had involved the difficult patient of Bernie's, Mr Richards.

"I love you too,"

The pair remained silent for a moment, listening to the bumble of the ward outside their little sanctuary. Suddenly, an unmistakable shrill startled the couple into action, Bernie jumping at the shrieking of the red phone.

"That, is Karma." Serena straightened up, sighing at their disturbance.

"Well, you can deal with Mr Dickhead for me then, can't you? Go on, use that charm of yours to save the day, Fräulein." Bernie pecked Serena on the cheek before jogging out of the office, smirking.


	17. Coffee Beans

**Prompt from Slenderpanda597: Coffee machine at Pulses being broken. Thank you for the reviews!**

"Well you could have warned me, Fletch!" Bernie hissed as she marched up behind the nurse.

"I couldn't exactly ask Ms Campbell to pass on the message!" He chuckled, turning around and holding his hands up in mock surrender at the army medic.

Bernie turned slightly to point towards the shared office, "I'm the one who has to face her first! Look, give us 10 minutes and if there's no sign of life, notify ED." She winked before heading for the office.

"More like the mortuary..." Fletch muttered, shifting back to the computer.

"Heard that." Bernie shouted back, pushing open the door.

"Morning!" Serena chimed positively, before looking up to Bernie's pained face and, more noticeably, empty hands and her own smile falling. "What's happened?" Her tone a lot blunter than the original greeting.

"Ah, the coffee machine is extending its...revolutionary...regeneration... regime?" Bernie had to refrain from bursting into fits of laughter at how stupid it sounded to try and big up the idea, but a glance at Serena's lost expression was enough to snap her into a serious stance.

A brief moment of silence felt like a good 5 minutes, Bernie holding Serena's gaze.

"So, you're trying to tell me that the coffee machine's packed up and it's not being fixed until later?" To Bernie astonishment, and relief (she couldn't tell which emotion took precedent, but she was most certainly grateful), Serena smirked back at her.

" _Much_ later, I'm afraid..."

"I appreciate your efforts, Darling, but the problem that remains is that there's still no caffeine!" Serena ducked under the desk for a moment before returning, to Bernie's brief confusion.

"Guess we'll just have to crack this open sooner than expected, eh?" Serena raised her arm to present a grand bottle of shiraz, grinning widely to her partner, who laughed softly, shaking her head.

"No you don't, Fräulein. Remember, lives to save and all that jazz. Alcohol doesn't quite have to same effect as caffeine, does it?"

"Ah, but an effect all the same!" she volleyed back, lightheartedly.

"Bern, I didn't _really_ mean now! What do you take me for?!" Serena exclaimed, pouting like a child, reluctantly handing over the bottle to Bernie's open hand, meeting the blonde's gentle smile.

"It's lunchtime I'll need it!" Serena remarked, earning a darting shot from Bernie and the launching of a pen across the room, that- despite the lack of stimulant- she managed to dodge sharply.

"Don't worry, my love, I'll remember to bring it home. Maybe that way we might be able to _share_ it?" Bernie looked over her computer to a challenging look from her lover.

"Is that a test, Major? You know full-well I share!"

"Yeah, half a glass for me, half a bottle for you!"

Serena gasped, albeit with a huge smile on her face.

Bernie sighed heavily. She hated the idea of Serena being so dependent on her coffee fix but she missed the routine herself. It had become a regular occurrence, especially when the women arrived at different times and was usually a calming way to start the trials of the day.

"Look, stay here. I'm going to see what I can do." Bernie grabbed her hoodie and turned to her, still sulking about the recent disturbance to their routine.

"And _please_ don't leave here." Bernie pushed on the door.

"Why? Keeping tabs on me now, Major?" Serena cocked her head to one side and crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair.

"I just don't want AAU to be subject to your caffeine-deprived bedside manner. So- even if that red phone rings- you're not leaving this room. Understood?"

"What if the fire alarm goes?"

"Burn."

Bernie giggled, crossing the room quickly and placed a brief kiss to Serena's lips before marching out of the office.

"Do you love me, or do you love me?" Bernie's familiar voice grew as she returned to the sanctuary.

Serena looked up from her paperwork. She had eventually lost hope of any kind of hot and strong beverage that morning so had tried to continue with her tedious admin. A growing smile beamed across the brunette's face as Bernie placed a large cardboard cup on her desk.

"Both!"

"ED." Bernie answered Serena's curious look, perching on the side of the desk.

Serena's eyes softened at the explanation, as she took a sip from the cup, sighing back into her chair.

"That, is like holy water. And I love you." she opened up her arms to beckon her girlfriend forward, who, of course, obliged, and sat in Serena's lap, her arms firming around her.

"I love you too," Bernie relaxed into the embrace.

"What made you think of the ED?" Serena asked, leaning around Bernie's shoulder to look up to her.

Bernie turned slightly and looked down to meet her eyes.

"Full of surprises, me." she whispered, lowering her head to meet Serena's lips.


	18. A Hill Above Holby

**J's prompt of Serena wanting Bernie to stay, instead of going for a run, well slightly anyway. Hope I've done it a bit of justice! Thank you for the prompt! Any others would be greatly appreciated. X**

"I'm going to buy you a treadmill," Serena remarked, curled up in the corner of the sofa, watching Bernie sitting cross legged on the floor to tie up her trainers.

"What would be the point in that?" Bernie looked up, perplexed.

"You wouldn't have to climb those _long, dreadful hills..._ " Serena teased, wrapping her fingers around her mug. "Why do you do it? I've never understood the whole fascination with running..."

"Because being with you means consuming a lot of wine!"

"So...to keep the calories off?"

"Nope, because the fresh air helps with the after effects of it, Serena. You read, I run." Bernie smirked, looking up to her partner.

"Must be an army thing," Serena smiled behind her mug.

"Probably doesn't help! But then you don't see me declaring 'Reveille' at 5am, do you?"

"You'd only do it once, Major."

"Understood,"

Bernie blonde groaned slightly as she knelt up to stand.

"That's age," Serena poked playfully, chuckling to herself.

"Come with me then?" she narrowed her eyes, deep into her partner's. A moment of silence passed between them as Serena desperately tried to conjure up a witty remark. "Thought not..." Bernie smirked back, before approaching her.

"I'll have you know, I _could_ do. I just don't _want_ to." Serena sat up slightly, gaining posture with her claim.

"Right you are, Fräulein. I'll remember that when you buy me this treadmill."

"Sit with me a minute?" Serena pulled her girlfriend down onto the sofa with a soft thud, crashing into her side.

"Hello," Bernie looked up to her, met with a soft kiss.

Serena suddenly squeezed her eyes shut, and bowed her head slightly.

"You okay?" Bernie put her hand on Serena's back, rubbing gently up and down.

Serena nodded, fluttering her eyelids open again to meet Bernie's gaze with a pained expression.

"What are you doing?" Serena mumbled, squinting slightly as she saw Bernie double over, taking off her trainers.

"I'm staying here, with you." She adamantly stated.

"No, Bern, I'm fine, honestly."

"You're never like _that_ , though. It's usually just a bit of a headache- at worst you're sick."

"That's all it was! I've just got a headache, Bernie. It's really very sweet of you, but please. Go and have fun, if you can call it that!" Serena giggled, though every sound hurt, resonating painfully through her skull.

Bernie sighed, standing up. It would annoy Serena more so if she rattled around the house and decided it would be best to settle the restlessness sooner rather than later. She reached behind the sofa to drag up the blanket, resident to the living room for late evenings snuggled together, too fatigued (or tipsy) to retrieve the throw from their bedroom. She carefully draped it around her lover, who had now resorted to lying across the sofa, into the pillows.

"Thank you," she murmured into the cushion, turning slowly to meet Bernie's level face, crouching down beside her.

"I won't be long," She whispered, cautious of her sensitivity to sound, pecking her cheek.

"Be careful."

Bernie took a deep breath in, inhaling the bitter breeze, gazing out across the mazes of streets below. She stood high up, at the top of the hill- one of her favourite places in Holby. Here, she could cast her eye down to the network of meandering avenues and curving streets. She could witness the simultaneous activity of all sorts of people living their own lives. Between tours, the medic would sit here for hours, just watching, wondering what each life entailed: where they were going, what they were doing, who they were.

Had she ever seen Serena, as a little dot gliding across a tarmac track, absentmindedly following her route?

She could make out hospital far out into the distance. Bernie smiled at the view, reflecting on how much life had change recently. It'd been just over a year since Bernie had arrived back in Holby, not in the healthiest of conditions and was, deep down, terrified of how things would turn out. Somehow, she'd recovered, divorced, and found home.

 _At this point, Serena would have made a charming comment on how 'simple' she'd made the whole thing look._ Bernie chuckled to herself at the thought. That brunette hadn't left her mind for a _long_ time. She was so content now, happier than she thought possible just a few months before, especially in Kiev.

How had things turned out so perfectly?

"I'm back!" Bernie called through the house, as she shut the door, pushing off her trainers carefully.

She padded through to where she'd left Serena, dozing in the living room, her heart swelling as she stopped by the doorframe, admiring the scene in front of her, where her lover lay still, curled in around the blanket, eyes peacefully shut. Slowly, she approached the sleeping surgeon, noticing the plastic pocket of migraine tablets on the table, one removed.

As if sensing her, Serena flitted her eyes open warily, smiling softly.

"Hello, you." Bernie whispered, pulling Serena up gently as she tried to move upwards. "How are you feeling?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just tired. How was your run?" Serena yawned, patting to the space beside her, and lifting the blanket to allow Bernie to sit with her.

"It was fine. Didn't go too far." She pulled the blanket over them both, lifting her arm for Serena to duck in underneath it.

"So why did you want to get a treadmill?" Bernie queried, thinking back to their earlier conversation and the answer that never came.

"Because I miss you when you're not here." Serena mumbled into Bernie's hoodie, falling back into a slumber, as Bernie pulled her in, smiling warmly.


	19. Stepney

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while but the inconvenience that is real life can sometimes be a bitch... Anyway, finally finished a law mock and the best part was having to remember a case 'Paris v Stepney Borough Council'. Of course, my "intense" revision led to this occurring... Enjoy! x**

"Paris…Or Stepney?" Bernie looked over the top of her mug, to the other end of the sofa where Serena had flaked out against the pillows, her legs carelessly draped over the blonde's lap.

"Stepney?" Serena pushed herself up against the arm of the sofa, cocking her head to one side, frowning slightly in confusion. "What's in Step- Oh! I get it. Very funny, Ms Wolfe." She huffed and flumped back into her original position, staring up to the ceiling.

"Well, you'd be able to validate your previous claim." Bernie chuckled, leaning over Serena's feet to place her empty cup on the table, her laughter intensifying at the tickle of toes moving beneath her.

"And how do you know that's not true?" Serena drew a pillow up to hide her smirk- she'd always been a flawless liar but somehow Bernie could see through it every time. Was that the army intuition or was it just the nervous sensation Bernie caused in her?

"Because you told me!" Bernie remarked in a slow tone, as if obvious.

"I did not! When was _this_ supposed to have happened!?" Serena was bolt upright now, a smile growing on her face that the surgeon prayed portrayed challenge rather than mischief.

"That night at Albie's you became _highly_ intoxicated because you hadn't eaten anything since the cinnamon swirl that morning. It was also the night you pulled the plug on the karaoke-literally- when I had to physically lift you away." Bernie smiled to her partner, briefly reminiscing on the evening herself. It had been a busy day on AAU, the red phone had rung twice in their shift and, with an F1 down, Bernie and Serena had juggled the patients throughout the day.

Consequently, they'd both neglected the worryingly tall stack of paperwork, muddled in the middle of their shared office and had to sort it later that week. Bernie momentarily cringed at the painstaking hours it had taken for the two consultants to wade through and initially separate their patients' files, until- half a bottle of shiraz down- they agreed just to delegate an equal number each, taking whatever hoops they had to jump through together, sat on the floor of their office together.

 _The whirlwind of a day had also caused a lack of lunch time for both women, and had meant that they arrived at Albie's past the point of hunger…for food that was. Serena had always made bold competition for the army medic but the shiraz went down far too quickly for Bernie's liking, meaning that when she had begun ordering diet coke, her partner didn't even realise._

 _"_ _Bernie?" Serena leaned forcefully into Bernie's side, pushing her back against the wall slightly._

 _"_ _Mm?" Bernie responded, putting her arm around a swaying Serena's waist to steady her swaying. Although not drunk, she'd disregarded the opinions of colleagues straying eyes about 2 glasses ago and, besides, Serena was acting like she was on an unstable ship at the moment._

 _"_ _I've got a secret. But you can't tell anyone." She attempted to whisper, but intoxication had little recognition for volume and so the hushed tone of the surgeon came out quite loudly._

 _"_ _Well, your secret is safe with me, Darling." Bernie pulled her in tighter, now leaning her body onto her to keep more so upright and putting a hand out against the wall to stabilise herself._

 _"_ _I never kissed a girl in Stepney! I don't actually really know where Stethney is!" Serena slurred, as the blonde laughed at her mispronunciation, before clocking on to what she'd actually said._

 _But before she could reply, Serena was wriggling free from her embrace, like a toddler, the free karaoke in the corner grabbing the surgeon's attention._

 _Bernie couldn't tell if it was truth or not, whether the drink had brought out a lie or a hidden detail of verity had emerged. Not that she really cared- it didn't really matter, did it? The couple were stronger now than ever before as best friends; AAU was well and truly flourishing and both women had finally found a support they could rely on at home as well as in theatre._

 _Bernie took a seat by herself at the back of the room, watching her drunken partner from a distance. It was rare that she saw Serena really let go and actually enjoy herself like this, and it was such a beautiful sight to see her truly happy and knowing that she was safe in her state because Bernie was there to keep an eye on her._

 _She laughed at the irony of the statement, knowing how she would probably have to tackle to feisty woman to leave in the first place, and then getting her home was another matter entirely- hopefully without being sick. She'd be asleep before they arrived home, so Bernie would have a struggle in waking her up, similarly to her risings on days off, reluctant to say the least._

 _"_ _NO! I HAVE ANOTHER SONG-" Bernie was snapped out of her daydream on hearing her partner's slurred screeches, as another man tried to prise the microphone from her firm grip. Half sighing, half chortling to herself, Bernie made her way up to the front to claim Serena back, praying it would be amicable. But when the shouting grew, Serena launched forward at the man, baring her teeth, jaw aiming for his hand with grip of the microphone and Bernie quickly wrapped her arms around her from behind, tugging her away in one smooth, forceful move._

 _"_ _Come on you. Home time, I think." Bernie held her firmly until they got outside, not letting go of Serena for fear of her returning for round 2._

Serena's face painted a distressed expression at the relaying of the story, horrified of her actions and thankful for her partner being there to avoid an arrest… or worse.

"So, this was 3 months ago and it is _now_ that you decide to tell me!"

"I said I kept secrets…" Bernie smirked, moving closer.

"It amazes me that you found the significant part of this story was that I had made up a minor fixation over 6 months ago! I could have got into serious trouble, Bernie! What if-" Serena huffed heavily, before running her hands through her hair.

"Ah, so you admit Stepney was a lie then?" Bernie traced her fingers down Serena's arm, before stopping in her tracks at the pained expression before her.

"What if… What if you hadn't been there?" She continued and Bernie smiled sympathetically at the clear shame of her girlfriend.

"Well, just like the whole 'Stepney' thing, it doesn't matter now. Nobody was hurt? And I will always be here for you. So you don't have to worry." Bernie kissed Serena's forehead, before laughing softly to herself.

"Moral of the story: Just don't venture off with alcohol without me!" Serena looked up.

"Good point, Major." Serena smiled, reaching up slightly to meet her lips.


	20. Complete Rubbish!

**Teeny Tiny fic that wouldn't go away! X**

"Serena Wendy Campbell!"

Said Serena, currently sat crossed legged on the floor, debating which DVD to select, sighed as she looked towards the door, anticipating Bernie's arrival, hearing her own name being called from the front of the house. Confused on hearing the door slam, Serena knelt up but the medic swung around the doorframe before she could advance.

"Aye Aye Major... No, that's Aye Aye _Captain!_ What is it for Major? Affirmative? Present?"

Serena smirked, sitting back on her feet, looking up admirably to her partner, who clearly didn't seem that amused.

"I'm not playing that game, Campbell." However serious Bernie wished to portray, a small smile emerged on the reluctant her lips.

"Why?" Serena faltered. "What have I done now?"

"What day is bin day?" Bernie folded her arms, taking a further step into the room and gently closing the door.

"Today. Bernie, you put the bins out this morning! Before work?" She leaned onto the coffee table to slowly kneel up, taking Bernie's offered hand in helping her to her feet.

"Correct. And, tell me, which ones was it this week?"

"Both! Ha, who do you think even brought them in?! They didn't move on their own, Ms Wolfe!"

"So you admit to bringing them back?" Bernie's blue eyes glinted with mischief at this.

"Of course! Well, it wouldn't have been Jason would it?" Serena chuckled at the very prospect lightheartedly. Her nephew was a great help around the house, but he refused to have anything to do with the waste disposal.

Bernie took a step closer to Serena, who was now frowning, trying to piece together what Bernie was on about. Hands behind her back, she leaned in, their faces inches apart and eyes level, Bernie's narrowed with humour.

"They hadn't been emptied when you dragged them up the drive, darling." Bernie giggled, her eyes creasing at the thought.

"What?!" Serena's face fell in disbelief.

"How did you even manage to lift them? I had a right to-do with that brown bin this morning- weighed a bloody tonne!" Bernie giggled, pulling Serena down onto the sofa beside her.

Serena had joined in the laughter now, giving little thought to anything but the hilarity.

"Maybe I'm stronger than you think!" She pushed Bernie back into the pillows playfully.

"Hm, possibly Ms Campbell, but I doubt it. Big Macho Vascular Surgeon doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it?" The blonde winked, making little effort to move from her relaxed position, pulling Serena by the waist to fall into her,smiling.


	21. BAAUby

AAU was manic that Wednesday and, despite the impressive efficiency of the entire team, doctors and nurses alike were treading water with the admittance rates.

"Aren't the ED staff sweethearts?" Fletch sarcastically smiled at Jasmine, swiping through the nurses' station to pick up another few files and drop a couple off simultaneously.

"Wasn't he-?" The F1 pulled a confused look at Morven, who shrugged knowingly, nodding her head.

"When it suits him." She mocked the nurse's hypocritical comment, walking out into the ward herself.

Both Bernie and Serena had been on shift since early that morning, which had started rather sharply when the red phone shrieked, quite literally, as soon as the pair had walked through the door. The outcome had not set the day off to a very promising start, the surgeons losing a young woman involved in a nasty RTC involving a drunk driver.

"She was completely innocent in this!" Serena slammed through the theatre doors, which bounced back harshly, hitting the following blonde forcefully. Normally, she would have muttered some smart comment, but knew that right now, Serena wouldn't be so accepting of the light humour. It wasn't that Bernie hadn't been upset to lose the patient, of course she was- and the minute emotions became mute in her medicine would be the day that she would give it up. But, especially with her previous life, feelings had to take a back burner in their work or face the spiralling consequences. Bernie considered, momentarily, why she had been harder to it than her partner, despite their equal length of experience. Maybe it was just the military conditioning and she'd developed a thicker skin in the field. But then, Serena Campbell was very rarely one to be affected so easily…

Since the first catastrophe of the day, for Serena, the day had gone from bad to worse. Morven had needed her help with a tricky diagnosis, which had consequently lead to emergency surgery when they discovered internal bleeding and a violent patient had left Fletch unusually shaken up, so had taken his break early. It was _of course_ during this period that another elderly man had gone into cardiac arrest and, unfortunately, they'd lost him too. This was all while Bernie had been in surgery, assisting Jac Naylor with a ground-breaking operation.

"Is the bloody grim reaper here in disguise today?" Serena huffed, slamming down numerous folders before sitting down at the station to complete a small amount of general paperwork. It was the first two minutes of the day she'd managed to sit down, when a distressed mother, with a young baby, was wheeled onto the ward.

"This is Maddie Summerton," Fletch began to explain as he helped the woman onto the bed. The redhead sat back, cradling her child close to her, and her tear streaked face looked up to Serena, smiling slightly. Her eyes sagged under heavy fatigue- more so than the usual new mother- and her skin was pale. "She was admitted from ED with abdominal pains and sensitivity to her skin. But Miss Summerton has insisted on having her baby with her. She's refusing treatment without her nearby."

"Okay, thanks Fletch." She smiled gently at the younger woman as Fletch walked back to the nurses' station.

-As if cursed by the Erinyes themselves, Serena had struggled to diagnose Maddie, running various tests on a continuing cycle, desperately trying to bring comfort to her worries by discovering _something._ It had been four hours since the woman had been admitted when a dark haired, suited man had come onto the ward asking for her. Serena could detect what she and Bernie referred to as the _Pillock Power,_ symptoms of their own previous experiences with men that indicated an unhappy ending. She was short with him from the off, especially when he asked to see the man in charge. She couldn't help laughing out loud as she turned away, after explaining that AAU was run by two women, resisting the urge to explain that the co-leads, as well as sharing a ward, happened to share a bed too.

Half an hour after he had arrived, Serena had gone to notify Maddie that yet _another_ test had come back normal and that they were going to take another route with her treatment. Briefly perplexed as to why the curtain had been pulled around her bed, she pulled it back quickly to reveal an empty bed and her bag had disappeared. She nearly choked in surprise when she heard a soft gurgle at the end of the bed, to find the young child kicking about, dangerously close to the edge. Placing the tablet down on the mattress, she slowly picked the young baby up, pulling her close to her chest and rocking the child back and forth carefully, dreading to think what could have happened if she'd been left much longer and had wobbled any closer to the side of the bed. Before turning away completely, a fluttering caught her eye, and she bent down to pick the crumpled paper from the floor.

 _Please look after Rosie. I'm sorry._

Serena cursed herself mentally, for making a harsh-though fleeting- judgement on the clearly distressed woman, but considered whether the berk who'd made an appearance had anything to do with the situation.

Serena cautiously made her way back to her own office, being careful to avoid other staff members, not wanting to draw attention to the issue quite yet. As she closed the door and drew the blind, Serena felt a small fist tap against her shoulder, a quiet mumble coming from the infant. She pulled Rosie from her shoulder, lifting her out slightly and up above her head, looking to the child.

"What are we going to do with you, eh?" She whispered, smiling softly at the child. A pang of sadness hit Serena, who had been in this job too long to avoid unfortunate involvement with social services. She looked at the tiny face smiling back at her, legs kicking in the pale yellow growsuit, decorated with delicate blue forget-me-nots. She couldn't help but giggle back at her, before bringing Rosie closer and cradling her in her arms.

Bernie had recently returned to the ward, buzzing with adrenaline from a risky yet successful dual procedure with Jac. It had been good to work with the CT surgeon again, despite to pressing questions of her private and professional life, true Naylor style. After circling AAU twice to find Serena, she noticed the blinds shut to their office, something that rarely occurred- the last time being her return from Kiev, in fact, the memory of the reunion causing a smile to grow.

She tentatively pushed the door ajar, wary of why their space had been isolated quite so much but the scene took her breath away, gasping quietly at the beautiful sight before her.

Serena was bouncing Rosie around the office, cradling the child in her arms, humming gently to quieten the child and, presumably, get her off to sleep for a while. A fleeting concern crossed the blonde's mind of 1) How long had she been gone?! And 2) What was Serena doing with a baby? but was too touched by the sight to care. The medic gingerly entered the room and Serena spun round when she heard the faint click of the door shutting.

"I leave you for half a day, Serena." Bernie whispered, approaching her girlfriend chuckling. Serena smiled briefly and held her finger to her lips, shushing her as she continued to rock the baby, whose eyelids flickered. Serena took a quick intake of breath, pausing in her motion for fear of Rosie waking again, and sighed when the baby's eyes flitted open again.

"Bloody hell," Serena muttered, though couldn't help a smile that crept onto her face when she looked back at her partner, who was now looking down to the child with the same adoration that she had felt. "Take her a minute, would you?" She pretended to be at an inconvenience, passing the fully awake infant to her.

"How-" Bernie began, but was silenced by a shaking of the Serena's head.

"Don't ask. Long day, short story- abandoned, basically." Serena huffed pathetically, perching on the side of her own desk, next Bernie, who was now bobbing Rosie on her leg, grinning at the fair-haired infant before her.

Serena often tried to discount the _what if we'd met earlier_ ideas that crossed her mind at random points but couldn't help but delve into the idea herself this time. What if they'd had a child together? Neither of them would have been object to adopting and Serena couldn't help but imagine what an amazing team they'd have been with young ones, just as they were at work, even with Bernie away on tours so frequently. The idea made her tear up, thinking what could have been.

"Look at her," Bernie exclaimed in a whisper of awe, a shine to her voice that Serena rarely heard, of such joy and broke her back into the real world. _Enjoy it while you can, Campbell._

"Yeah," Serena leaned in closer to her partner, pulling her arm around Bernie's waist, smiling up to her.

It was such a very bittersweet moment, as Serena now reflected back, lying in bed that night, snuggling herself into Bernie's own hold. She really did wish things had been different earlier in life, realising how much crap she'd put up with in her lifetime and how brilliant things were now. For the first time in her life, Serena Campbell felt truly an equal. Rosie had been such a gorgeous addition to the office that day and had highlighted to her just how deeply in love she was with her partner, but the road for that little girl was going to be quite bumpy for a while.

 _Don't get emotionally involved_ had been the first advice given to a younger, vibrant Serena with the world at her feet. But how could she not?

"It'll be okay for her, darling." Bernie mumbled from resting her lips to Serena's head.

"It's not fair though, is it? How I wish we could have-" She stopped in her tracks, crunching her eyes tightly, realising the cat was not only out of the bag, but pouncing around the room.

"Yeah," Bernie sighed sincerely, kissing her gently, "Me too."


	22. She's My Major

"Do you actually know where you're going?" Serena eyed suspiciously, as her eyes followed down numerous alleys, none of which had seemed to show much movement, bar the flashy car showroom they passed on initially turning in to the estate.

"Don't doubt me, Fräulein." Bernie winked back, as she changed gear and turned down a narrowing road, the car juggling on the cobbled ground as they passed rows of storage facilities amongst the odd independent business, shut up and looked very much like the garages on the nearby estate, Serena thought.

"Ah, so can I declare us lost now, if we're officially turning around?!" Serena chimed, receiving a knowing look from her partner, who glanced over her shoulder to reverse, much to the brunette's confusion, neatly into a parking space between a tall stack of wooden pallets, and a dusty 4 x 4, the only indicator that somebody else was around too.

Serena followed Bernie doubtfully, across the cobble (she now understood to be large gravel) and up to the warehouse, with a rusty, corrugated metal exterior and a short, blackening wood sign that propped up against the building.

 _Army surplus_ Bernie flashed a grin back, holding the huge and heavy door open for her. On walking in, Bernie gasped at the wide array of clothing and equipment laid out before them. The passionate expression, though contained, was acknowledged silently by her partner, making her heart glow. She, too, had gasped when they had entered the building, but purely on a account of its resemblance to a fridge, as she pulled the zip on her coat tighter.

She followed Bernie's lead around a variety of racked clothing, as she explained the different meanings for hats on high shelves and what shiny boots were worn when.

"And this," Bernie rummaged through another rack of hung items. "Was my first uniform, on tour, that is." She held the attire up proudly and Serena replicated the pride in a mirroring smile.

"Wow," she involuntarily gasped, before looking away. Serena was never one for living in the past but her mind couldn't help exploring the deep pit of 'what ifs?' that sprung to mind in such a nostalgic setting. Would Serena have coped with an army wife? Would they still have had their children? Would Bernie still have met Alex...

"What's wrong?" Bernie pushed the uniform away roughly and walked the short distance to her lover, the threatening tears had now subsided but Bernie recognised her watery gaze.

"I was just wondering what life would have been like had I been around to witness it all properly." Serena admitted, forming a weak and unconvincing smile, as Bernie pulled her tight into her own embrace.

"As in would we still be together now?" She paused, her heart sinking slightly at the realisation. "Or- would things have ended nastily, like Marcus?" Bernie knew her partner far too well to know Serena wasn't getting upset about her own aggrieved army career.

Serena looked up from her rest in her arms and into Bernie's soft gaze.

"Marcus was all for himself, and I just didn't realise how much so until I came in on a stretch board. He never fully appreciated how much of me was the army, and wanted me to give it up before it felt right: that's why I had to bugger off to Kiev,"

Bernie wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist, trying to show her as much security as physically possible. "Amongst other _stupid_ ideas," Serena smiled at the acknowledgement. At least she had been part of the army days, she thought humourously.

"I needed to do it for me. So that I could make the call and end it on a high, not as a patient myself." Bernie had spoken with such confidence, rare on the topic of emotion.

"But you're completely different, Serena. I am _actually_ in love with you. And before, when me and Marcus met, I was naïve, thinking what I felt was love, but it wasn't. And Alex was just a distraction from that. But I've never felt such admiration for anyone in my life as I do for you."

Bernie's hands fell to intertwine with Serena's, who displayed a brighter smile at her.

"Besides, there aren't many people who I'd run off to Ukraine to consider feelings for?" Bernie chuckled and pulled her back in for a short squeeze before taking her hand firmly to continue explaining the change of uniform during her service and show her the old medic's equipment, laid out expansively by a small khaki tent.

"Do you miss it?" Serena tentatively breeched the subject; this time with curiosity, not doubt.

Bernie looked up from her crouched position by the tools, as Serena followed, sitting on the floor with her.

She put down an old scalpel, bringing horrendous memories of drastic decisions to the forefront of her mind. Serena was the perfect distraction.

"Weirdly, no. I mean, initially I did. I wasn't lying when I said I'd taken to civvy street to save my marriage, but it's probably found me a new one..." She looked across to her partner, who took Bernie's hand in her own. "I felt lost for a while after, especially with the divorce looming. But when it actually happened, I was on AAU... and I had you there. Albeit, not quite in the same capacity as now." She smirked, lightening the mood.

"So Holby was a right move?" Serena smiled back.

"If I'd known this was what it took to be happy, you'd have been co-leading a lot earlier, Ms Campbell." Bernie knelt up to stand, holding her hands out to aid Serena in doing the same. "Anyway, you have Jac Naylor to thank for this: she's the one who notified me of the post!"

Serena laughed brightly: only just been made aware of the fact, it appeared rather novel to her.

"Bet _she_ didn't see this coming!" Serena giggled, holding firmly to her Major's hand as they continued around the store.


	23. Where's The Milk?

**3 little ficlets based on a prompt "Where's the milk?", albeit adapted.**

"Bernie, did you pick up the milk…Like I asked?" Serena spun around from the kettle assembled in the corner of their office, to face a guilty looking Bernie sat across the room.

"I'll take that as a no?" Serena straightened, still holding up her empty mug, unimpressed.

"Have it black! It won't kill you. When we-"

"Ah yes! When you were in the _army…_ " Serena advanced to stand before her partner, still clutching her own china mug. "But guess what, Major? You're in Holby now and in Holby we have a Tesco." Serena's eyes narrowed as she held her gaze on Bernie, looking up from her relaxed position behind her desk.

"And _now."_ Serena pushed the cup under Bernie's nose. "I don't have any tea! Or coffee! Because _someone_ was careless and forgot the milk this morning!" Serena paused, disrupted from her rant at the stifled giggles from below her. "I don't know why you're laughing, Berenice. Because, last time I remember, you took milk in your hot beverages too and-as far as I can tell- there _isn't any!"_

Serena slumped, frustrated, against the desk, slamming her mug down with little effect, briefly wincing at the thought of it being damaged on the impact.

A minute paused in silence, Serena's petulant sighs and physical huffs of restlessness becoming more apparent by the second.

"Fine!" Bernie jumped up suddenly, startling her partner slightly (though she'd never admit it) and held her hands up in surrender. "You win! I'll go and get the bloody milk." Bernie feigned inconvenience through an over-exaggerated shake of her head and loud huff, as she pulled her familiar grey hoodie on, pecking at Serena's cheek before walking to the door.

"Love you," She chimed around the door frame, before slipping away.

"This milk's out of date, Serena?" Bernie lifted the carton through the kitchen doorway, at which she stood, to the living room where Serena was lazily slumped on the sofa, an array of pillows surrounding her tired head.

"Oh, Christ. I must have used the longer date stuff first." Serena rubbed her head before sitting upright.

"What are we going to use for this rice pudding?" Bernie quizzically cocked her head.

"Trust you to pick that tonight, Bern!"

"Don't blame me for this! Who's the one who got her milk mixed up?" Bernie retorted, raising her eyebrows knowingly.

"Look, I may have some long life in the cupboard, just give- Bernie, why are you smelling it again? You know it's had it. You've just told me yourself." Serena sighed, criticising her partner's stupid actions as she would her child's. Bernie looked up innocently, completely unaware that this was an issue.

"I just wanted to make sure." She mumbled, as her partner joined her in the kitchen, leading out to the cupboards.

One by one, Serena opened each door to glance over the contents, Bernie following behind her.

After the third cupboard, Serena looked dubiously over her shoulder to find her partner directly behind her.

"Why are you still holding that milk, Darling?" She exhaled deeply, though smirked as her girlfriend stared- almost surprised- at the container, before drifting to the sink silently to pour its contents away.

"Knew we had some!" Serena triumphed, hands on her hips as she stared upwards, a frown growing on her face.

Bernie crept behind her partner, whispering gently in her ear. "Can't reach it?"

"Well, Jason helped me unpack the shopping last time…" She gestured to the shelf, demonstrating the fact her height would not allow the top shelf to be accessible.

"I'll have to remember for when you get narky about the shiraz…" Bernie teased, as she wound her arms around Serena's waist.

"Do you want me to get it for you? You damsel in distress?" Bernie continued to poke fun at her partner's height, tightening her embrace.

"Excuse me, Ms Wolfe, but who was it that wanted the milk anyway? And who was it that couldn't find it themselves?" She wriggled free to face the blonde, whose glance transferred from the shelf, to Serena, and back upwards.

"Fair play." She admitted before reaching over Serena to grab the carton, but stumbled and, as her fingers brushed it, pushed the milk back further onto the shelf, clearly out of both their grasp now.

"Big Macho Army Medic, eh?" Serena taunted, smirking at her amusement, and leaned back against the counter.

Bernie shot a challenging glance backwards, before pushing herself up onto the side. Once kneeling, she went to reach for the desired container, wobbling slightly. Serena launched forward, Bernie giggling when she looked down to find Serena had leapt across the room.

"Didn't know you could move so quickly, Campbell."

"Didn't know your balance was so crap, Major." The volleyed remark received a bark of laughter from up on the counter, as she passed down the milk, turning around to slide off and, conveniently, into Serena's arms.

"My hero!" Bernie dramatically mocked, pulling Bernie in by the waist, their lips briefly meeting.

A content moment of silence passed, before Serena noticed Bernie's gentle sigh, and looked up to the blonde.

"I don't think I even fancy rice pudding now…"

"You went out for _milk,_ Serena." Bernie called through the tiled hallway, as her partner hung her coat. Bernie peered back into the bottle bag.

"Last time I checked, milk was not _red_ and was not sold in corked bottles, Darling." She continued, though smiled as the brunette walked tiredly into the kitchen, hair wet from the recent downpour, and slumped into the kitchen chair.

The blonde ventured further into the next bag.

"And how much cheese?!" Her face plastered with shock, as she pulled out at least 8 varieties of the product. "Christ Serena, I said a block of cheddar. Not half of France's production!" She spun around quickly, holding up three of the wax packages.

"Well, we're not going to eat it all now, are we?!" Serena reasoned, but pushed the receipt further into her pocket, making a note to dispose of it later before her girlfriend got hold of it.

"I take it you bought crackers too then?" Bernie squinted into the bag once more, to confirm her suspicions and huffed exaggeratively, making sure her partner heard.

"Another three packets? Serena, we already have an open pack of cream crackers!" Bernie placed them down in a pile amongst the dairy.

"Oh, shush, you. They'll get eaten."

"Yeah, eventually!"

"I don't see you're complaining?" She chimed back, arms outstretched and an angelic expression written on her face.

Bernie strolled over, "Don't try to plead innocence with me, Ms Campbell. I know what you're about."

"Oh really?" Serena challenged, standing up.

"Mm, now go and get changed; I'll sort us a drink." She kissed Serena, as she sauntered out, yawning.

"Of tea! Now we've got milk anyway!" Bernie shouted up after her gentle thuds on the stairs.

She returned to the counter, and began unpacking the rest of the shopping, smiling to herself as Serena had picked up her favourite biscuits and the washing powder she'd forgotten last week.

But no milk.

Bernie, in that moment half frustrated, half humoured, rested her forehead against the cool plastic of the fridge door, before audibly laughing to herself and reaching out for two wine glasses.


	24. Shopping Squabbles

"I'm not arguing about this with you, Serena." Bernie lowered her tone, leaning into her partner. "We're in the middle of the bloody shop." Her tone remaining serious, as Serena looked up smirking.

The pair had decided, reluctantly, that their day off mid week would be the easiest to tackle, what Serena called, 'the big shop'.

"Don't you think we should restock the cupboards today, Serena?" She had gently breeched the subject to a lethargic Serena, who was still sleepily cuddled into her partner, snuggled in the covers, whilst Bernie sat against the headboard, enjoying the rarity that was a lie in.

"No," Had come the mumble from Bernie's lap, quite sharply considering the fatigued attitude of her girlfriend.

"Yeah, but we'll have to go this weekend anyway. Wouldn't you rather get it over and done with?" Bernie ran her hand through Serena's hair carefully. "Besides, I think Jason might go a little loopy if we've run out of mushy peas. It's fish and chips night tonight."

"Can't you go?" Serena grumbled the reply, though her voice more awake now, as she turned over dozily to look at her partner.

"Oh, charming!" She laughed "First day off together in- how long?!- and you want to leave me to tackle whatever supermarket on my own!" Looking down at Serena, she couldn't help but smile.

"Aw but you'd do it if you loved me, Major." Serena batted her eyelids over enthusiastically, receiving a soft thump from a pillow Bernie had dragged pathetically over her head.

"Shame, then. Must not love you enough." Bernie smirked, pushing her partners head, prodding her to move.

Serena wrapped her arms suddenly around her middle, to the surprise of Bernie who took a sharp intake of breath.

"No." Like a petulant child, she determinedly fixed her eyes to Bernie's, just as her hold held her firmly in place. "Not today, please?"

"Serena, I don't think I've ever met someone who can take such a 'cut the crap' edge one minute and be such a child the next!" Bernie chuckled softly, reflecting on Serena's many different colours she'd had the privilege (or hardship) of facing.

"But it's our day off!" She continued to whine, lifting her head so their eyes were near enough level: Serena's narrowed and challenging, Bernie's lighter - trying to soften the blow- before hardening themselves.

"Up. Now." Bernie, almost effortlessly, broke the chain of Serena's arms around her waist, keeping hold of her hands that fought against the direction she was aiming for.

"Serena!" Bernie half-screamed, as she was pushed back onto the bed, Serena still holding her hands tightly.

"We're not going." Serena tried to enforce a steadiness to her strict tone, but ended up laughing, realising how much she sounded like Jason.

"Oh yes we are. Come on, Soldier." Bernie swiftly spun her wrist to unlock her partner's grip and jumped up quickly, pulling Serena to a standing position too, before kissing her softly and moving to get ready, before Serena could do anything else to prevent their movement.

So, here they were, in the middle of the biscuit aisle, still arguing.

Bernie cast her mind briefly back to the start of the day, trying to figure out if they had, in fact, stopped arguing at any point or if this was just one continuous quarrel that changed subject every now and then.

So far, the couple had squabbled over whether to go in the first place (Bernie won, regretting the proposal now), who drove (Serena claimed she would drive back, she promised), what bags to use (Serena felt a particular loyalty to only using bags from the store they were shopping at, which left Bernie quite perplexed), where to go (after taking a detour around town, and two wrong exits, they'd finally agreed), who could push the trolley (by this time, Bernie let her girlfriend steer just to keep her quiet, refraining from making a comment about not wanting to drive…) and _now_ they were disagreeing about bloody biscuits.

"Serena. Listen to me. We do NOT need any more biscuits." She was trying desperately not to wring her neck with the packet that was being held far closer to her face than necessary.

"Ah, but you see, Ms Wolfe, these are on offer too." Serena giggled, trying to make light of the laborious trip and gain confectionary simultaneously.

"They're still two quid! For four biscuits," Bernie huffed, leaning against the trolley that started to roll, and she jumped back up in surprise. Serena had, of course, clocked this and started in fits of suppressed laughter.

"Mind where you're going." She smirked, before stepping forward to wrap her arms around her lover.

"Can you just make this a little easier for us, Fraulein?" Bernie sighed pathetically, returning the embrace.

"I'm only trying to help!" Serena feigned offence, stepping back slightly, though her arms remained.

"Well, how about we stick to the list then?" Bernie suggested and returned the soft smile, receiving an agreeable nod from her girlfriend- finally something they had settled on!

She looped her arm through Bernie's on the trolley.

"You can put those biscuits back now." Bernie sarcastically smiled sweetly, without a backward glance to check her suspicions. Serena threw her hands up, before reaching into the trolley and placing them back on the shelf. She made a mental note to try harder with the wine aisle.

"Well, you can push then." Serena gestured towards the trolley; it was a pathetic notion at causing a little light-hearted inconvenience.

"You know, I think I _will_ leave you at home next time, Serena." They continued to walk, arm in arm, down through the next aisle. "I'll try taking Jason with me. He'll be a bit more organised and may even make the list for me!" She laughed softly, as Serena looked up, shocked at the idea, her eyes still glittering despite the effort to look hurt.

"I only brought him with me once. He complained I was spending too much time looking at the wine!" Serena grinned at the memory, before raising her eyebrows at the considering expression of her girlfriend. "What?" questioning flatly, they paused by the pharmacy at the back of the shop.

"Well, he may have had a point…" Bernie trailed off, her eyes following the thin lines on the flooring.

"I was looking for that one we'd had at that Italian place!" Serena straightened, trying to justify herself to her girlfriend and, judging by the volume, everyone else apparently. Bernie looked around, before gesturing for her to lower her voice.

"Which one?!" Bernie cocked her head.

Serena relaxed her body, hopeless in her defending argument as her partner had appeared to side with her nephew, who wasn't even there.

"Anyway, the moment has passed now." Serena gathered herself, quickly moving on and leaving Bernie to catch up as she led the way.

"Do you know where you're going?" Bernie couldn't resist, her tongue in cheek at the comment, knowing Serena would spin around. She was rewarded with a harsh, heavier thump to the arm and a devilish glare she reserved for Bernie: not of disappointment, like the expressions to fresh F1s, nor of frustration, occasionally to Jason or the Fletchlings. Bernie could read her like a book; she was practically shouting 'I'm pissed off with you, but I love you anyway'.

"I love you too," Bernie whispered into her girlfriend's ear, once caught up, and Serena placed her warm hand over her lover's as they continued.


	25. Letters

"Oh for goodness sake!" Serena mumbled, though audibly, as she passed through the hall into the kitchen, still glaring down at the paper before her, the murky brown envelope now screwed up viciously in her fist.

"What is it, love?" Bernie stumbled down the last couple of stairs, gasping at the swift and unexpected movement.

"That's those bloody slippers," Serena huffed, not bothering to look up, still scanning the letter as she leaned into the worktop.

"Okay, so it's _definitely_ not good news…" Bernie dared to comment, though only in a whisper, as she swept through the doorway herself to peer over the top of the sheet. Serena darted a sharp glance to Bernie's deep set eyes, before swiping the letter out of her vision.

"What is it, Serena?" Bernie's tone now more severe, purely with concern rather than anything more malicious or taunting. She followed quickly behind her partner and padded into the living room.

"You are relentless, Ms Wolfe." Serena managed a weak smile, before bouncing back carelessly into the soft sofa pillows, exhaling as she sank back. Bernie fitted next to her, wrapping an arm over her shoulders to pull Serena closer. They sat in a moment of silence, Bernie looked out to the bright skies of late morning, now the sun had burned off the morning fog and low, miserable clouds. She followed her gaze back over Serena's arms and found she was still, subconsciously clutching the envelope and its contents.

"Are you going to tell me what that's all about?" She gently gestured to the armrest, airing on the side of caution. She'd experienced Serena's 'feisty streak' all too many times to go in guns blazing, even for an army medic.

A long, tiresome sigh triumphed the silence, before she held it out for her girlfriend to take.

"Another speeding ticket?! Serena!" Bernie leaned forward to scan the details of the letter.

"To be absolutely clear, Berenice, it was on that new roundabout! How was I meant to know they'd changed the limits? In my opinion-" Bernie held her finger up to hush her girlfriend, who stopped abruptly, surprised at the silencing.

"Your opinion doesn't seem to matter here! But it does mean yet another fine and, more importantly, another 3 points! That's 6 now! Serena, you've got to be so careful." She pushed the letter onto the coffee table, turning to face Serena with a cautious look.

"Oh, stop lecturing me." Serena held her hands up in mock defence, smiling more now at the worry of her girlfriend, finding the whole situation rather humorous now she'd accepted the painful loss of £100 that would inevitably sting the shiraz fund.

"What would you do without a car?" Bernie challenged, curling her leg beneath her to sit a little taller, folding her arms.

"Oh, darling, we work at the same hospital. I'm sure we'd manage…" Serena couldn't help but chuckle at Bernie's unsettled expression, unconvinced at the prospects, had Serena knocked up 12 points.

"Contrary to popular belief, we don't actually live on AAU! So, what about off duty?" Bernie questioned again, though with a smirk.

"We're practically joined at the hip." Serena volleyed back in a husky tone, now edging forward on the cushion, closer to Bernie's face.

"Mm, but it also means I'll be the mug who ends up driving everywhere!" Bernie threw her hands up, either side of Serena.

"Oh so _that's_ what it is! No concern for your girlfriend's independence! Just a question of whether the Major can get pissed every now and again, how charming!" Serena feigned wounding, retreating to her side of the sofa again.

"Absolutely," Bernie played along, her grin growing. "And taxi fares will, most certainly, be coming out of the shiraz fund. Just like the fine!" She chimed, mischief glinting in her wide eyes.

ooooooooooooo

The treasure of a Saturday off was a jewel to any surgeon, but especially so when their co-leading partner also had the time to spare too. It had been too rare to waste, but the idea of wasting the day was interpreted differently by the two doctors.

Serena had literally campaigned for a lie in, warming Bernie in a suffocating embrace in petulant reluctance to get up.

"Serena," Bernie had whinged, restless and eager to get up and enjoy the day. "It's 9 O'clock already! And it's gorgeous outside." She gazed over to the curtains she'd left open the night before, hoping the natural light would rouse Serena naturally, from her compromised position- half out of the bed, being pulled back into the warm covers.

"Yeah, but I'm gorgeous and I'm _here._ " Serena giggled, before finally giving in and letting go.

"I know," Bernie pecked her lips, for fear of being dragged back onto the mattress.

They'd been down to the beach for the day: Serena resisting the urge to relax on the sands and return to her aggrieved slumber, Bernie resisted the urge to visit the surfing hire and spend an hour amongst the salty waves, they'd both settled on chips on the sand dunes.

A stroll, arm in arm, down the winding coastal path, scoping across the vibrant sea that glistened in the radiant sunlight had surprisingly drawn the afternoon to an end. The sun was fading behind the horizon, glowing the clear skies of pale blue to a mellow peach when they'd eventually set off back home.

Bernie recognised the symbol immediately, swiping down to pick up the post that evening when they'd returned. Serena padded through to flick the kettle on, unpacking the flask they'd taken.

"Anything new?" She casually asked, glancing back from her drifting movements in making the tea.

"Bernie?" Serena poked at her partner, as she fetched the mugs from the draining board.

"Hm? Oh, yeah." She held up the crisp letter and Serena's heart dropped at the recognition of the Army emblem, striding across the room to snatch the letter from her.

The kettle pinged.

"Oh," Serena gasped, relief obvious in her shaky voice, at the invitation to the awards ceremony for outstanding recognition.

"You'll come with me?" Bernie looked up, confused as to why a couple of tears were trailing delicately down her girlfriend's cheeks. "Serena?" Bernie stood up from the kitchen table, her hand resting on her forearm.

"It's nothing," Serena laughed it off, as she had done in the early days of their relationship.

"You're not pulling that one, Fraulein." Bernie pulled Serena closer, holding her at her waist.

"I just- when I saw…" Serena stared out the logo on the page, almost certain the lines were vibrating.

"You thought it was another secondment?" Bernie whispered, barely audible, but Serena nodded just as discreetly.

"Darling," She exhaled, holding Serena tighter. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

ooooooooo

"Oh whoops." Bernie handed her partner a standard white envelope, torn at the top, as she sipped her tea. "Sorry, I didn't realise that was addressed to you."

"I've not got anything to hide!" Serena laughed softly, as she took the letter from the kitchen table, trying to shake the paper from its packet one handed as she bit into her toast. Bernie leaned across the table to pull the corners of the envelope and separate the paper, receiving an appreciative smile from Serena.

"Oh, just junk mail." She muttered, scrunching up the letter and pushed it to the other side of the wooden surface.

"Oh no you don't! I'm not stupid Serena! I saw that was from the opticians!" Bernie jumped up suddenly to seize the neglected message before her partner could retrieve it herself and mask the evidence.

She spread the letter back out on the table, pushing out the creases.

"Serena…" Bernie turned to a low, warning voice.

"Oh, bugger off, Bernie. It's not like you go!" Serena volleyed back, folding her arms and refusing to acknowledge the letter herself.

"I _have_ been. 20/20 vision. But what do you expect?" She winked across the room, Serena failing to suppress her smile at the notion.

"Ah, you're just too perfect, Major."

"Well, what do you expect?" Bernie repeated, and stood to stand behind Serena's chair, her hands placed firmly on her shoulders.

Her tone softened, "You _do_ need to go though,"

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" There she went again, Bernie thought, smiling secretly behind her lover, but dreaded the challenge ahead, knowing it would be a challenge to get her to make the appointment, let along actually go.

"Just humour me." Bernie held her phone out sternly, as Serena looked back up, almost in innocent surprise as to what was possibly wrong.

"Fine," Serena huffed loudly, sagging her shoulders like a child to establish her inconvenience.

"Thank you," Bernie whispered behind her, pushing a kiss to her cheek. "Just don't go all Mr Magoo on me again." She jumped out of the way to avoid a heavy swat.


	26. Summer Drive

"No! Listen here, Campbell." Bernie slapped down the map she'd been scrutinising for the last stretch of the motorway and had been following their route up to the last junction.

"I said left, darling." Bernie strained, desperately trying to keep her tone neutral, despite the boiling urge to shove her partner over and take to the wheel herself.

"No, no. The signs said this way!" Serena protested, smiling all the same and pointing further up the rural route they'd abruptly turned into on their right.

Bernie exhaled deeply, pushing back into the seat and folding her arms across her chest.

"Oh, don't get like that with me, Major." Serena briefly glanced over to her partner, changing gear and then placing her hand on Bernie's thigh. "Trust me!" She grinned, her deep eyes illuminated with the excitement and curiosity Bernie had adored since they'd met.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Oh trust me!" Bernie mocked Serena's confident statement earlier in their journey, as she surveyed the map again.

"This- this is why you should have listened in the first place, Serena! Where the bloody hell are we?!" Her blonde hair swished- quite majestically, Serena thought- as she scanned the scenery from the dead end they'd reached at the end of the bending, narrowing path.

The car pointed towards a low, stoned wall, backing out to vast moorland. Light greens and deep emeralds of the grass in the shadows weaved about the hills and bumps of the grassland. Craggy rocks were stacked high in a jagged pile further into the distance and the few trees dotted at the bottom were all leaning to the left: their bulky trunks pushed, battered in the direction of the annual, fierce, winter winds, the spindly branches- rich with the vivid jade leaves of July- brushing each other as they rustled in the gentle breeze. It was a beautiful sight...just not the one the pair had intended.

"Come on!" Serena giggled, the image of Bernie's pale, sheer discomfort as she'd sped down the sudden dip in the road brought a bubbling amusement to her.

Bernie wasn't amused; her smile had dropped by now, sunglasses perched on her head and pushing her fringe away. Serena now understood her glare was a lot stronger without it and resisted the urge to drop the shaded back over.

"It's fine!" Serena held her hands up in mock defence, exaggerating the process of giving in. "We'll just drive back up the way we came!" She pointed through the rear window, up the naturally framed country lane they'd descended, as far as she could see back, following the unruly hedgerow around the bend.

She spun back around, raising an eyebrow, prompting a reply from her partner. When Bernie finally lifted the corners of her mouth, Serena took the minute lift in mood as an indicator of approval and started the ignition.

"Oh no you don't!" Bernie leapt at the rumble from the engine, leaning over Serena's lap to retrieve the keys. "Out." She smiled, though her tone remained adament.

Serena rolled her eyes and they simultaneously swung open the doors and stepped out into the glowing summer afternoon. Crossing paths in front of the car, Serena grabbed Bernie's arm, reaching up to peck her lips.

"I'm sorry, " she smirked, which quickly grew to a cheeky grin, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Bernie leaned back on the bonnet, dragging her partner to stand before her, legs either side of Bernie's, their hands still clasped.

"What am I going to do with you?" Bernie sighed, feigning distress at the situation, though clearly loving the detour now.

Serena looked around, as if to be contemplating the question, before her innocent gaze returned.

"Love me?" She smirked at Bernie, who nodded as if to pocket the idea.

"Quite possibly." She volleyed back, before looking out to the long, matted grass and tracing the rocky boundaries out to the next field, where the ground blurred into one instant spread of green ground.

Serena spun out of the hold to look out too. Recognising two pale blobs of unusually white territory in the further moorland.

"Oh look! Sheep!" she declared, with a rather child-like delight, pointing out vaguely in the direction of the animals. She took a sharp intake of breath at the surprise embrace, not recognising the strong arms wrapped around her waist before it was too late and she was colliding with Bernie's body, falling backwards into the bonnet.

Serena giggled at the unexpectedly swift action, nestling back into her partner's hold.

"Well, well. I didn't know Serena Campbell was such a child!" Bernie chuckled softly, tightening her arms around her partner's middle.

"I am not!" The response came as a petulant whine, and on realising it rather proved Bernie's point, she tutted and sank back to comfort.

They stayed there for a while, listening to the gentle breeze shimmer through the trees as the sun beamed down and radiated onto their skin. Serena found her eyes becoming dangerously heavy, drooping in the beaming sunlight and greater serenity of their positioning.

Bernie cocked her head, her heart glowering as warmly as the summer rays when she felt Serena nestle into her neck infinitesimally and found her eyes closed.

"I think we need to make a move, my sweetheart." She gently probed, whispering, half hoping her partner wouldn't respond.

"I'm just resting my eyes," came the dozy response, as Serena turned in the embrace to wrap her own arms around Bernie, reluctant to move from their unintentional sanctuary.

"Mm," Bernie placed a kiss to her partner's sleepy head, before making another attempt to move, straightening up.

"Come on, Serena." She hushed, trying to untangle their arms at the same time.

"You drive," came a mumbled response from Bernie's chest, before she finally stood herself and made her way to the passenger door.

"Of course," Bernie hummed, as she too made her way back to the car.


	27. Round and Round

"Albie's?" Serena swung around the office door rather too swiftly, toppling slightly into the doorway as she clung onto the frame.

"Looks like you've no need!" Bernie shot back a bright smile as her partner came bounding through into the office.

"Oh, trust me- I do! Mrs Cartle has been somewhat…challenging this afternoon." She took a slower step into the room, perching on side of Bernie's desk, hands planted on either side of the surface. "I had to let Morven take over before I ripped the bloody stitches out myself! I mean-"

"Shh." Bernie brought her finger up to brush Serena's lips, her other hand finding Serena's, smiling.

"We can go. But just one!" Bernie laughed softly, remembering all too vividly the last visit to their local, buzzing with colleagues and patients of the hospital, all rather bubbly by 10pm. Serena, of course, had passed the 'bubbly' phase some hours before and had become quite… determined to say the least.

It had resulted in Serena launching herself from the stool into her girlfriend's luckily strong grasp, before, literally, being carried out by her "own macho major" as Serena had put it, giggling back to the car.

Unfortunately, that's not as severe as the intoxication got; on the way back Serena had involuntarily regurgitated half of the night's alcohol consumption, though managed to aim for her handbag, rather than Bernie's dashboard.

"What a waste," Serena pitied, looking down dumbly.

"You didn't have lunch today, did you?" Bernie cocked her head towards the grumbling woman beside her as they pulled up to the quiet junction.

"Nei'er did you." Serena slurred back, a skewed retort as she attempted to make herself sit a little taller.

"Ah, but I didn't decide to down 3 shots and a bottle and a half of shiraz, Ms Campbell!" Bernie barked, setting the car into motion again, as gently as she could, not believing that Serena could aim for her bag twice in one journey.

Bernie was brought back into the room by her partner's playful swat to her arm.

"Oh, I wasn't that bad!" Serena protested, knocking the idea off but offered little explanation  
for the night's events that had eventually led to Serena chucking up, yet again, only Bernie had been right this time; she had completely missed the bag and spewed over the doormat instead.

The raised eyebrows and knowing look from her partner said otherwise and Serena her hands up in defeat.

"Okay, Okay." A cheeky smile grew on Bernie's lips. "Don't think I'm going through that again, Ms Campbell. Not twice a fortnight!" Bernie stood, planted a quick kiss to her girlfriend's lips and made her way to the door.

"Oh come on. I'm hardly a violent drunk, my love." Serena pushed from the desk to make her way over to her own side of the room, though felt suddenly quite dizzy. Probably getting up to quickly.

"Ah, but you are dead weight when you're pissed! Seriously, I've had wounded soldiers make more effort to move themselves than you do when you're out of it!" Bernie exclaimed, holding her hand on her hip before dodging a stray pen that had been launched from the other side of the room.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It had been a busy shift since the pair's conversation that morning. Bernie had been involved in surgery all day- some planned, some not- and Serena had been managing AAU's frantic bays whilst trying to balance her time between actual medicine and the growing mountain of files that demanded administrative attention.

She strained at the nurses station, trying not to wince at the startling clinical lighting that had suddenly become very sensitive to her sight; felt like it was burning through her pupils and pulsating through her sockets to shoot through the back of her head and run rings around her vibrating skull.

"Not sure Albie's is going to be a good idea tonight," Serena all but whispered, becoming fragile to volume too, scrunching her eyes closed tightly when Fletch dropped a bed pan with a crash as she'd exited the ward, feeling considerably foggier.

"Hm?" Bernie looked up from the computer screen, engrossed in a report on recent trauma stats. Her gaze grew with concern when she reached Serena's eyes, not quite connected with the outside world, as she slumped against the side of the door, holding the cabinet for support.

"Woah," She mumbled, blinking slowly taking in the pain, as Bernie leapt from her seat, anticipating her next involuntary move, to hold her partner up. Serena dropped instantly, collapsed in Bernie's strong hold and she guided her down to wall to slump against the unit. Bernie knelt down on her knees with her, using her body to keep an unconscious Sernea upright between the wall. Serena fell into her partner's side, Bernie instinctively holding her closer, keeping her tight in her arms, smoothing her short locks.

A minute or so passed, though to Bernie it felt like 10, before Serena stirred, murmuring slightly in a haze, her eyes flickering as she came around to her senses. Bernie pulled away slightly, though keeping her strong support, she didn't want to alarm her when she gained consciousness.

"Hey, you," Bernie whispered as Serena's eyes flit open widely, blinking quickly to adjust to the blinding illuminations of the office.

Serena looked up to Bernie's gentle smile, her wide eyes drowsy and detached from the real world.

"It's okay," She hushed, as Serena settled back into her.

The room fell to silence, as Serena gathered herself, the rhythmic bustle of the ward muffled behind them.

"I'm not feeling well," Serena finally grumbled, managing the words, though slowly and slurred.

"I can tell," Bernie softly chimed "Home time, I think. Are you okay to get up?"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It had taken a while longer for Serena to feel able to move; Bernie had hoisted her up via her chair after feeling another spell of nauseating dizziness. Bernie had been concerned, offered to take her blood pressure but the surgeon was having none of it, waving the episode off, still under the fogginess.

It had taken even longer to get down to the car park, as Serena refused even the sight of a wheelchair and had relied on Bernie wrapping her arm around her waist to keep upright, as they shuffled to the lift.  
It was then that she'd thrown up the first time, as the lift jolted into movement, Serena felt her head spin and stomach churn, like her entire body was revolting from inside out. Bernie had responded as quickly as ever, chucking down Serena's handbag she'd been carrying to lower her girlfriend to the floor once again. She hadn't fainted this time- that was an improvement- but still wasn't right. That was obvious, even without her medical experience.

The cool air had been a revelation to Serena's searing cheeks, as they walked out into the brisk evening air. Realising they'd forgotten to pick up their coats, Bernie wrapped her familiar grey hoodie over Serena shoulders, as she began to shiver, receiving a grateful smile on Serena's pale face, colour void from the expression.

"Are you cold, darling?" Bernie asked, knowing the answer as she felt the heat radiate from Serena's burning cheeks, but wanted to keep conversation going and her partner alert.

"Mm," Serena nodded with a mutter, lowering herself into the car and wrapping the hoodie further around herself as Bernie helped to buckle her in and patted her knee affectionately.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Fortunately, the drive home had been uneventful and quick. Bernie had taken the longer route to avoid the overwhelming amount of roundabouts, having images of a projectile disaster. She'd managed to keep Serena awake, though not by much, as she slumped against the door, eyes closed and concentrating on the icy glass against her scalding skin.

They did, eventually, get through the door as well, though it had involved heaving Serena down the alarmingly narrow and dangerously steep concrete garden steps.

"How haven't you fallen down these before, Ms Campbell? Something tells me you've stumbled into this garden tipsy many times before…" Bernie teased, as they reached the bottom and Serena took her hand, shuffling along independently, reaching out for the sharp pebbledash to steady herself as Bernie unlocked the door. "I thought I said I wouldn't be dragging you home tonight?" She laughed, huffing as she dropped Serena down the last couple of steps.

Bernie directed her to the bedroom, briefly moving into the kitchen to set the kettle going and rummage around for the painkillers. Of course, Serena being Serena, ignored her tactics and settled into the sofa in the living room that looked directly out through the double doors.

"I thought I said to get upstairs, Fraulein?" Bernie raised her eyebrows as she brought in a glass of water and began popping the tablets from the blister pack.

"You do have your way, don't you?" Serena joked, her smile faltered by fatigue. "I can't take those, Bernie." She pointed lazily in the direction of Bernie's hands at the tablets.

"You're going to have to," She smiled back sympathetically, joining her partner on the sofa, who moved over to rest her head in her lap.

"I'll be sick again," Serena muttered against Bernie, her eyes becoming heavy and head pounding.

"Well, you'll be more sick on the half a tonne of calpol you'd have to take, my love." Bernie chuckled softly, looking down to Serena's drowsy eyes, as she brushed through her hair tenderly and leaned cautiously over the back of the sofa to retrieve the blanket, pulling it over Serena, splayed out across the rest of the sofa, and up Bernie's legs.

"Close your eyes, I've got you," She whispered, placing a kiss to her head, watching Serena black out to the world.


	28. The On Call Room

_Why did I take that night shift?!_

Serena all but collapsed into the nearest office chair, which happened to be Bernie's, and closed her eyes, briefly soaking the precious moments of solitary peace.

When Bernie had appeared unusually quiet and a great deal more restless than usual, Serena had spent hours trying to subtly coax the issue out of her. She'd failed, miserably until they'd climbed into bed that night and Serena had wrapped her body around her lover, refusing to let her go until she'd got to the bottom of her problems.

"Serena, your arm is cutting of the blood from my hand." Bernie had groaned, trying to tackle Serena back onto the other side of the mattress.

"Don't care." Serena snapped back, though she did adjust herself, propping herself on her elbow to face Bernie's tired eyes. "What's wrong?" her challenging gaze softened, before narrowing again. "And don't give me that 'I'm just tired' crap, my love. It may work on Raf but then Raf doesn't know you like. I. Do." She punctuated each last work with a poke up Bernie's chest, receiving a short laugh from her.

Silence prevailed, Serena's demanding stare delving deeper into her partner's eyes, desperately trying to figure out what had kept her so reserved this evening.

"Okay..." Serena tried a new approach. "Work? Health?" Serena watched Bernie's expression intently, watching for any falter of her bloody stupid barrier. "Kids?" She tentatively approached the subject, knowing things remained fragmented between Bernie and her children, especially her daughter.

Serena felt her heart lift slightly in relief as Bernie's gaze fell. She'd finally cracked the puzzle that was Berenice Wolfe. Serena pulled from her forward grasp of her girlfriend and shuffled back to rest against the headboard, parallel to her, deciding not to press the issue.

"It's Charlotte." Bernie softly stated, cocking her head to face Serena's perplexed frown, though smiling. "She wants to meet me tomorrow evening." Bernie suppressed a grin to a weak smile, partly because she couldn't believe the spontaneous meeting could possibly mean anything positive but also because it was logistically impossible.

Serena sat back, slightly more relaxed now, for Bernie had shared her trouble with her, deciding not to say a word until she was sure her partner had finished. It was like getting blood out of a very insecure and independently prided stone.

"I'm not going." Bernie fiddled with the sheets before her, tangling her weaving hands through the cotton.

"Why ever not?" Serena jumped, her body facing Bernie now. "Ah." She struck the other half of the problem.

Bernie was on the night shift tomorrow. How had Serena forgotten that? She looked to the helpless bundle next to her; it was unbelievably ironic. Bernie Wolfe- esteemed trauma surgeon, formidable army medic, survivor of an IED, and it was her own children she was most anxious about.

"I'll take it." Serena had declared in a heartbeat.

Bernie's head shot up, though masking the delight was a terrible task, no matter how sick the prospects made her.

"Leave it with me," Serena hummed, before pulling Bernie back to her.

 _Now_ Serena was slightly regretting that. She'd been in surgery for at least 3 hours, after the red phone had- in its glory- shrilled as she had watched Bernie's car drive away that afternoon. Between that and her routine duties, her and Morven had juggled the rounds of infinite patients, seemingly on a never ending loop of bays. Now, half way through the night, Serena had managed to tackle only a fraction of her intended paperwork. She sent a silent prayer of thanks that she'd dropped the title of deputy CEO long ago: how she managed that amount of admin before was beyond her.

She glanced at her phone: 2am. Stifling a yawn, she wondered out into the ward, which seemed surprisingly tranquil for AAU. Serena surveyed the bays, nodded to the night nurses and took the chance to sneak away to the on call room, just to rest her eyes in true darkness for a while. Well, until the next admittance that was.

She padded gently into the room, flicking the beside lamp on that filled the room with a soft glow, and flopped down onto the mattress. It was no Egyptian cotton, but in that moment Serena felt like she was on the clouds. Exhausted, she pushed off her shoes, sighing as she pulled her limbs back into the bed. As she let her heavy eyelids droop, they stung with fatigue and a single tear of weariness fell to the pillow.

Half an hour had past before Serena woke with a start at the piercing buzz beside her.

 _Where are you? X_

Bernie. Where the bloody hell did she think she was!?

 _Getting pissed in Albie's, you? X_ _S_ erena smirked, picturing the fond roll of her partner's eyes at the remark.

 _Ha bloody ha. Miss you xx_

Serena's head fell against the pillow, her gentle smile illuminated by the digital glow.

 _Miss you too. If you must know, I'm trying to get a couple hours kip but some inconsiderate woman keeps disturbing me! X_ _T_ he reply came within a matter of seconds.

 _Lucky woman! I need a cuddle. X_

Serena chuckled out loud, her heart swelling.

 _Ditto, but you're going to have to wait until 4 X_

Serena kept hold of her phone this time, intently waiting for the reply.

"Well, that's a shame." Came a familiar, husky whisper from the doorway, open ajar and letting a strip of fluorescent light stream through the shadowed room.

"Mm," Serena audibly hummed, but before she could realise the reply had been spoken rather than typed, she felt Bernie crawl onto the bed and fall in behind her.

She felt two arms snake around her middle, pulling Serena back into her hold.

They fell into silence, rhythmic breathing the only light sound of the room.

"How was Charlotte? " Serena murmured, her eyes closed as she turned over to face Bernie.

"Good. Really good." Bernie hushed, "She wanted to let me know she's forgiven me. She said she understands that it wasn't all on my part that Marcus and I split."

Serena smiled back as Bernie's eyes glazed over, presumably tears of relief. For so long, Bernie had been convinced she'd lost her children to the vindictive divorce.

"It's going to take work, but I think she's open to being around a bit more," Bernie's wide eyes and perfect beam ornamented in the lamp's mellow radiance.

"Well, if there's anyone who'll fight for it, it's you darling." Serena lifted her chin to capture her lips in a kiss, before Bernie pulled her hoodie over Serena's side, pulling them both into a warmer embrace.


	29. Written On You

**Hi! Sorry for the delayed update; I've just returned to school and things are a bit heavy at the moment! Also, kind of struggling for prompts now- we're on chapter 29! So if you have any ideas, please do suggest them and I'll do my best! Thanks! x**

"That's the fifth one we've had this week!" Bernie exclaimed through a frown, slamming the last of her files onto the nurse's station and perching on the edge of the desk. The first bod-job tattoo seemed to be a unique case amongst the staff on AAU, but by the fourth patient with a similar problem, Bernie's bedside manner had become, unintentionally, irate. She looked down at Serena, who carried on typing after a quick glance upwards.

"Your point is?" Serena hummed, continuing to type but edging slightly closer to where Bernie was positioned, catching a small smile at the gesture from the corner of her eye.

"It's only Tuesday!" Bernie cried out, quite a bit louder than Serena had anticipated, making her jump slightly and, therefore, Bernie to giggle.

"Since when were you so keyed up?" Bernie winked, quite proud at her wit but received a blunt look from Serena, who was clearly _not_ impressed. "Or do I always have that effect on you?" She husked, leaning in closer and keeping her voice, this time, to a minimum.

"Ha, bloody ha, Major." Serena spun back around and continued typing "By the way, this is _your_ paperwork I'm doing here. Or do you want me to stop?" She quirked her eyebrow and shot a challenging look to her partner.

"Carry on!" Bernie chimed with a grin, as she gathered a few more folders and returned to her patients. Any tattoo problems were welcome with open arms compared to her attitudes to admin.

"Would you have a tattoo?" Bernie circled the rim of her glass with her finger, an amused smile worked on her lips when a whirling note, fluctuating in pitch as she continued, came from it. Since the five that morning, Bernie had been faced with yet another two tattoos gone wrong. They looked painfully infected, each and every one of them, and when Bernie had asked where they'd had it done, every case pointed to the same source- a small studio on Billchurch Street at the lower end of town.

"I've never really thought about it," Serena's faded reply from the kitchen grew clearer on entering the living room and curling in beside Bernie, glass balanced between three fingers.

"Don't you dare drop that," Bernie warned, watching her fiddle with the stem between her fingers and the rich contents swirl dangerously towards the lip of the glass.

"You know me too well to risk wasting it, darling." Serena smirked, though took a sip and settled it on the table.

"So, would you?" Bernie pressed again, as the conversation- by her own admission- had taken a swerve in subject.

"I honestly don't know, Bernie. Why?" Serena sat up a bit straighter to look her in the eye.

"I just wondered!" She held her hands up in defence, though smirked.

"Would you?" Serena volleyed the question back.

Bernie pondered, putting her own glass down and returning to a relaxed embrace on the sofa without the potential blood bath a spilled glass would make of the cream carpets. Bernie wondered now why they _ever_ thought that would be a good idea. Everybody says not to get light colours with kids, but the _real_ problem here is shiraz.

"I did think about it, when I'd returned from the army. About 15 years ago?" Bernie turned to meet Serena's wide and curious eyes.

"Well, what were you going to get?" Serena enquired, leaning forward now, practically climbing on top of her.

"I did originally want something about the kids: for when I went away." Bernie looked across the room and then back to Serena's expression, unchanged but for a deeper concern-probably out of confusion- in her eyes.

"I don't know why I didn't, to be honest. I think it was because my initial thoughts were pretty drastic; I'd wanted my kids to be a part of me if anything… you know." Bernie's gaze fell completely to the floor but Serena's tighter grasp shot her eyes up again.

"I think I'd have a quote." Serena attempted to lighten the spirits of the conversation that neither her nor Bernie expected to take such a dark turn.

"Really?" Bernie cocked her head as way to prompt her to continue.

"Oh," Serena smiled, taken stupidly by surprise that she would-in fact- have to deliver this quote, instead of just bluffing to make her girlfriend smile.

"There's a few…" She began, trying to buy time.

"Engine been growling or whining?" Bernie toyed, pulling on Serena's calves to spin her around and over her lap. She couldn't tell whether it was this motion or the suggested quote that caused Serena to giggle so much, but either way it was a delightful sight that seemed to brighten the room and dismiss any tragic thoughts of the past she had unexpectedly dug up this evening.

"Cute, I'll give you that, but no." Serena grinned, looking up the sofa to her.

"Let me guess, something really classic." Bernie rolled her eyes playfully.

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Come on, then. Let's hear it."

"I might not want to tell you." Serena pushed herself up onto her elbows, before being whisked forward by Bernie tugging on her legs, so she was sat fully in her lap, strong arms pulling her tighter. Serena squirmed, trying to release her hold, though giggling herself, eventually collapsing into the embrace with brief exhaustion.

"You're not going until I hear what it is!" Bernie laughed, Serena laying her head to Bernie's shoulder.

"Maybe I don't want to," Serena mumbled, Bernie not quite sure what direction her ambiguous comment was directed at.

A moment of silence passed comfortably, Serena closing her eyes in a hope the moment would hold on for a little while longer. For so long, she'd been taking on the world alone and now everything just seemed so perfect- even down to the domestic disputes about the shopping, or who was cleaning the oven this time. Moments like this, she lived for. As riveted as she became in her work, as much as she adored medicine and had seen no other career pathway since adolescence, she was beginning to love her home life as much as her work day: something Serena Campbell hadn't felt in years.

"If not you, who? If not now, when?" Serena finally whispered, causing Bernie to turn her head slightly. Serena could see the puzzlement in her gaze, and promptly followed it up with an explanation, of sorts.

"Something you taught me, actually. Though not your precise words." Serena moved away to look her directly in the eyes, which had now softened at the reasoning.

"Oh, really?" Bernie smirked, leaning forward to kiss her softly on the lips.

"Mm, though it would make a bit of a shit tattoo, don't you think?" Serena shrugged, returning to the embrace.

"Not you Serena, not on you," Bernie smiled, placing a kiss to her head and relaxing back herself.


	30. Exs and Ohs

**Hello! Well, I have an apology as school seems to have hit me like a bus (double decker, I believe) and therefore I haven't had a lot of time to write, hence the delay and a half! This is set from a prompt I had a couple of times in reviews; Edward is involved shall we say...**

 **Enjoy! And I'm still working through prompts I've been suggested so I'll try with those as soon as possible. Thank you so much for all your support. It really encourages me to keep writing. So, here's my 30th shot!**

 **Emily x**

"Bloody stupid idea, if you ask me." A slurred voice swayed from behind Bernie, as she spun around to find the source of the comment leaning on the back of her chair, his head drooping low to her ear and his glass wobbling dangerously by her shoulder.

"I'm sorry?" Bernie sat up slightly straighter, instantly lifting her eyes up to the bar in search of Serena, who was leaning against the side in animated conversation with Sacha.

 _I'll bloody kill her._

As if by telepathy, and Bernie decided it was of pure karma considering she'd left the downstairs light on all night and faced Serena's wrath that morning, Serena turned further way, her back now completely to her partner as she continued her discussion, with the addition of Mr Griffin. Fabulous.

"This charity bollocks." Bernie was snapped back into her unfortunate reality at the inconsiderate comment from her current nuisance, taking a confused moment to piece together what he was relating his opinion to.

"Well, it's taken a lot of time for the F1s to put this together, and it's raising for a very important cause so-" She reeled off her defences, constantly taking quick glances back to Serena's previous position. As if by true Wolfe fate, she'd shuffled over to the other side now, poking at Dom for some reason (she'd have to ask later, if she survived that long) and it appeared the drinks Serena had disappeared to collect some ten minutes ago had been long forgotten.

He grinned smarmily, raising his glass to take an almighty swig and then looked on, across the entire room of tables dotted with people-mostly fellow surgeons- of a certain age, not quite 'hip' enough to fit in with the youth of which the continuous clatter of conversation seemed to be rising.

"To be that young again!" He chuckled, manoeuvring around to spin into the seat opposite her. Bernie managed to stifle her rising laughter when he tripped on the chair leg but failed to cover up her second efforts when he raised a look to her as if to say 'Well?' and expect Bernie to flatter him with how 'smooth' she thought he was being, which in reality was zero.

Silence fell on the table, amplifying the constant chatter surrounding them and making Bernie feel uncharacteristically shy around strange competition- something she instantly scolded herself for. Conjuring up the Major in her, Bernie went about her business as if she was still alone, checking her phone and… Aha! A beacon of light on this dismal- and mighty awkward-scene, Bernie desperately tapped out a SOS to her girlfriend.

By this time, the idiot opposite her was mumbling to himself in some intoxicated spiral of self-pity, and he took her clever smile to be aimed at his saga. He leaned forward, slamming his empty glass onto the table enthusiastically.

"But you're not like that bitch, are you?" He purred, his lips curling into a smirk that made Bernie involuntarily push away from the table. She looked up to find Serena's eyes meet hers, grinning with amusement until her smile dissolved into a gaping disbelief and her eyes widened to match when she noticed Bernie's problem.

"Darling," Serena voiced from at least two tables away, as confidently as her stride would also carry. "Are we about ready?" She continued, strutting past her occupied seat, and depositing herself _on top_ of Bernie, much to her thrill- both at being rescued and the affection.

"Wait, what?" Came a grumbled voice, hoarse and slurred. "Serena Campbell…" He began, now standing up, visibly swaying.

"Oh, hello Edward. Didn't see you there. But maybe that's because I've managed to absolve you from up here anyway…" She tapped the side of her head, smiling sarcastically sweetly and wrapping her other arm around Bernie's neck.

Bernie's face physically fell, still trying to add up the last 20 minutes of the most complex puzzle this week, which was saying something considering the amount of paperwork she'd had to tackle this week.

 _Edward. Serena's ex… did he just… Is he?..._

"Serena Campbell, the lesbian." He mused audibly, swinging around to try and attract as much attention as he could from fellow hospital workers, though lacking subtlety.

"No use, Edward. Everyone knows… nobody cares. Unfortunately, you're late to the party. Our sapphic angst fest is old news." Serena shrugged, shuffling on Bernie, who had relaxed enough to realise Serena had this covered. Sublime and intimidating, Serena at her effortless best.

"So, I take it you've met Major Wolfe?" She continued, barely giving Edward room to stutter a response, let alone actually head for the door.

"Uh, Major?" Bernie smirked at her partner and, quite amused now, considered congratulating him on being able to form a question this time.

"Oh yes, my big macho army medic here. Bernie's one of the best surgeons our fine army has!" She exclaimed, running her hand through Bernie's hair, who looked up to her devilish gaze.

Silence fell amongst them; Serena knew she'd succeeded in her efforts.

 _Give it 5, 4, 3…_

"Well, Bernie, did you know-" He began, the drunken process in his mind slowing down the words, painfully to the two women.

"Ah, there's nothing about Serena I don't already know." It was Bernie's chance now, as she bounced her knees, causing Serena to jiggle too and a genuine giggle from her bright smile.

"Indeed. Now, Darling if you want to…" Serena closer in and whispered into Bernie's ear, and she could feel a smile creep onto her face.

"I give it 10 seconds and he'll be gone." She smirked, whispering swiftly, mischievously almost. As if Serena had a totally different agenda for once he'd slunk away.

"I could kill you, and kiss you and I don't know which one more." Bernie toyed, chuckling back into their closed embrace.

"I'd prefer the latter, but that's just me." Serena volleyed back, and pulled away to steal a quick kiss.

Bernie spun back around and let out a honk of delight to find Serena's seat vacant once more. Tracing the brief pathway, she smiled to find Edward staggering towards the exit, turning back around at the door and shaking his head towards them.

Serena clung both arms around Bernie, whose arms now snaked her waist, feeling- for the first time in a _long_ time- so confident in her love and in such a public display of her affection. She just didn't care and it felt great.

"Up you get then!" Bernie suddenly moved her legs, causing Serena to reach out in panic and shoot a pure look of annoyance at her.

"Your seat's free now! And my legs are numb."

"We were going anyway." Serena adamantly justified, moving to gather her coat and bag.

"Well, I was under the impression you had sauntered off to get another round but in reality, you'd just ended up talking to every bugger else and leaving me to fend for myself!" Bernie pouted, shooting a challenging look to her partner.

"Oh, sod off Bernie. Since when did my Major need protecting from a weasel like Edward?" Serena folded her arms, waiting behind her chair for Bernie to put her coat on.

"Weasel. Love it!" Bernie chuckled, taking Serena's hand and leading the way through the bumbling crowd.

Serena took a deep intake of breath as she braced the midnight chill, her arm instinctively wrapping around Bernie and resting her head against her shoulder as Bernie returned the embrace and they walked out into the night.

"Do you compare all your partners to animals, or is it just him?" Bernie laughed softly, as Serena matched the laughter and paused for visible contemplation.

"Well, Robbie's a bit of a… sheep." Serena smiled at Bernie's blatant confusion and carried on. "You know, he was average. But there's plenty of men like him. Boring really. Doesn't do much more than bleat the same crap day in day out!" Bernie's shoulders jiggled with amusement as they reached the car and they separated to different sides.

"So, what about me?" Bernie finally questioned, and the answer came promptly. Mostly because Serena anticipated this eventual curiosity from the start of the conversation, but also because Bernie was the first person she thought of.

"Oh, you?" Serena teased, looking up to the sky and then back to her lover. "None other than a wolf," Serena smiled and continued with her reasoning. "You're courageous… but you don't trust many people. You're the bravest person I know, you're tough and all… but you've got these puppy eyes,"

Bernie smiled and, though over the top of the car, Serena detected a glaze over her eyes that made her heart swell.

"Anyway, if the name fits… it'd be a bit crap to liken you to an eagle or something when your name practically confirms it."

Bernie smiled greatly back, pulling the door open.

"Fair play, Ms Campbell. Fair play."


	31. Dispute On Darwin

**Hello! Remember me?! I know, been a while. And for that, I apologise but the bobbing boat of 2017 appears to have hit a rather large iceberg this May. Won't bore you with the disaster details, but hence why updating has been very lacking.**

 **I had a prompt a while back for a dispute between Jac and Bernie involving Zosia and Serena. Now, I've never really written for Zosia and Jac before, so this is probably a bit , as ever, any prompts are greatly appreciated! (I've got a little book now and everything- it's cute!) Hope I've done this justice...let me know! I'll stop rambling now. Enjoy! X**

"It just isn't worth the risk!" Jac hissed, looking back down at the dilemma plans.

"Since when were you one to play it safe all the time, Naylor?" Bernie darted back, hands stuffed into her scrub pockets in frustration.

"Mr Davies has three children, Ms Wolfe. It's too much for them to lose." Darwin's leading lady continued to defend, as both women in navy side stepped simultaneously to the side of the corridor as Mo rushed through with another trolley. Both heads turned with the moving bed, eyes tracked to the incident until they disappeared around the corner. Bernie remembered that feeling all too well, on both sides of the bed.

"Serena's right though. If we leave this any longer, he'll lose the use of both legs. And I don't think he will cope with that. I really don't."

"But he'll still be here for his children?" Jac pushed on, raising her eyebrows in challenge for another point to be made.

"Like I say, I don't think he'll cope."

Jac's eyes fell to the floor quickly with a faint sigh and Bernie felt a string on hope at reconsideration on her part.

"How did I know you'd stick up for your girlfriend, Bernie? We can't anticipate the outcome if we're all huddled around him like a bloody campfire. He'll be opened from neck to thigh!" She threw her hands up, the cool façade of Jac Naylor well and truly thawing out right now, much to Bernie's surprise. Bernie opened her mouth to speak, as Jac held her hand up in pause.

"Let me ask you this,"

 _Oh, fabulous. Play the emotional attachment card, Naylor. Good call. Very original._

"Would you be arguing the same course of action if Ric was taking the lead? Or something Sacha was dealing with?"

"Absolutely," Bernie's sharp reply cutting off the tail of Jac's inquisition. _Poker face, Major._

"Somehow I'm not surprised," Jac rolled her eyes, sarcasm leaking from her words and caused an involuntary huff from Bernie. Jac's eyes shot up daringly at the expression.

"What?" Bernie challenged, her eyes narrowing under her stringy fringe.

"What's the use of his legs if his heart doesn't work to move them?" Jac shrugged. This conversation was going on too long for her liking; most colleagues, from F1s to fellow consultants, usually put up and shut up by now.

"Look," Bernie stepped closer into Jac's far-reaching personal radius and lowered her voice.

 _My turn to play personal._

"You remember when I- you remember _how_ I arrived back in Holby? Pseudo aneurysm and spinal fracture. After Dr Valentine and Guy's little tiff, they decided to take the chance-" Bernie held her hand up, pausing Jac in her tracks of protest. "They decided to operate together. But that was me. I pushed for that. I was willing to take that risk of death. You know why? Because the thing that terrified me most- more than I'll ever like to admit- wasn't the probability of success going _way_ against me, it wasn't even that I'd be leaving behind my children, wasn't the fact that I'd be entering the unknown… it was the fact that if things went _wrong_ and I lived, I'd be nothing like I was before. Nothing like I am now. I'd be helpless, I'd be dependent. I wouldn't be me. So, _actually_ , I know where Neil is coming from. I totally understand why he'd want to take that risk. He'd rather be dead than be in the alternative situation, both for himself and his family. Surely we have to consider that? It's not us who have to live with whatever happens in theatre: it's him."

Bernie took a step, rather a dodgy stumble, backwards and finally exhaled, feeling slightly flushed. It was true though, what she'd just confessed. She'd rather be dead than in any state out of her control. Bernie's eyes persisted to hold Jac's unnerved expression, grey eyes like lead to Bernie's eager brown pupils.

Finally, her stare broke by new distraction, as Jac's gaze darted over Bernie's shoulder to the giggling pair hidden through the stacked trolley further down the corridor.

"Do you two wish to contribute?" Jac raised her voiced, yet with the same steel, to cast it across the stressed ward and reach the women with usual ice, though Bernie swear she caught a tremble of a smirk on her opposition's lips.

Bernie snapped around, her heart not quite as concrete Jac's exterior was suggesting, a bolder smile growing when Serena practically bounced forward, the darker toned scrubs Zosia wore like a ghost of Serena's advancements in her aqua attire.

"Ms Naylor." Serena smiled, as she came to a halt. She cast a knowing smirk to her partner, before pulling Zosia, who had been lingering in the background of the confrontation, forward into the debate.

"So, as I hear from Ms Wolfe, this idea's all your own?" Jac's lips quirked briefly when Serena's head snapped to Bernie's gaping expression.

"You what? My idea! Trust me, if it was _my_ idea, I'd be seeing you myself!" Serena folded her arms across her chest, a scathing look in Bernie's general direction- though it couldn't really be intended for anyone else, considering she was now against the wall.

"Excuse me! All I said was-" Bernie began, holding her hands up in all defence.

"Oh, shush, you. I'll sort you out later. But, in all seriousness, what is going on with Mr Davies? At this rate, we could have had everything done!" Serena pointed a finger at her girlfriend before returning her attention to Jac.

"Well, I _was_ going to take lead on the heart and then leave you to work on the spinal injuries but your Major here has given a very convincing argument so, this is probably _the_ only time I'll admit it- so listen up. Bernie's got a good point, well made. I'll see you in theatre."

Serena grinned, eyes instantly searching for Bernie's in pride.

"You assisting, Zosia?" Jac peered behind Serena, who stepped aside to give her full view.

"Will there be room?" Came the nervous chuckle of a response, though the shine of her eyes glinted with curiosity at the potential surgery with three formidable surgeons.

"Always." Jac smiled, before taking a step backwards herself, beckoning her forward to follow. "This way, Zosh."

"Fighting my corner, were you?" Serena took a step closer, arms still tight against her chest, though a cheeky sparkle flashed in her eyes.

"Always, my love. Although, to be _absolutely_ clear, Jac twisted that." Bernie smirked, straightening up against the wall, one hand held against her hip, the other drawn across her body to meet it.

"Of course, sweetheart." Serena nodded, widening hey eyes teasingly. "So, what did you say that made our resident ice queen change her mind?"

"I thought that was Connie Beauchamp?" Bernie cocked her head as thoughts of the redoubtable consultant in trademark louboutins crossed her mind from previous conversations about familiar challenges in the hospital.

"No, she's the snow queen, keep up." Serena smiled fondly as she swatted her navy clad arm and stepped forward again, practically inches from being flush against Bernie.

"Right… well, I just played on the, you know, 'been there, seen it, worn the t-shirt'. How I wouldn't want to be in any situation of vulnerability or a lesser quality of life. Maybe that makes me weak- selfish- I don't know…" Bernie's eyes fell at the sudden compulsion to compare their shoes.

"Oh, darling." Serena sighed, closing the gap between them in a glowing embrace. "That doesn't make you weak, and certainly not selfish. It makes you honest, makes you human, makes you mine." She pecked at Bernie's cheek quickly, before grabbing her hand and tugging Bernie sharply away from the wall.

"Come on you. Let's get away from here whilst we can. Heaven knows how we'll get through that surgery without a coffee break. Now!" Bernie grinned, allowing her troubles to dissolve away and her heart to be consumed with _now._


	32. History's Mystery

**Hello! Sorry for the lack of consistency here. This one's a little inspired by Bramwell too, and I recently read a headcanon idea of Bramwell being involved with Bernie. So, here we go! Prompt ideas are running thin on the ground at the moment so I'd appreciate anything you've got! Ta x**

"It's Evie's birthday next week," Bernie points out to the empty kitchen, nursing a lukewarm coffee Serena had made earlier that morning, before becoming suspicious of the lack of movement in the room above her and venturing to find her partner had drifted back to sleep. The pair had the morning off, until a later starting shift following into the night. Before Bernie had arrived, these were Serena's favourite shifts; she loved watching the world outside darken and quieten down, when there was such a buzz of energy running through their little ward. And those lie ins _certainly_ weren't a downside to the rota. But now, Serena much preferred working her way through an invigorating shift in the daylight and going home to spend the evening curled up on the sofa with Bernie and a glass of shiraz.

"Sorted." Serena simply chimed, her voice growing as she made her way up the hallway to meet Bernie.

"The ever-efficient Serena Campbell," Bernie marvelled. "Is there anything you _can't_ do?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Serena grinned, as Bernie put her mug down to wrap an arm around her girlfriend.

"What did you get her, anyway?" She changed the subject quickly, genuinely curious as to what- and when- Serena had found something.

" _Do No Harm_ " Serena replied with a smile, a fond memory of how enthusiastic Evie had been to follow in Serena's pathway, seriously surprised when, over a year later, the novelty hadn't worn off and the ambition remained just as strongly as the day she'd been first made aware of the desire. "It's a book. Stories of neurosurgeon and the like."

Bernie's lips curled into a similar beam at how beautifully thoughtful Serena was, at how loving she was.

"I think her first experiences of neuro should be as far from Guy Self as possible!" Bernie chortled, releasing her grip to lead Serena into the living room.

"What made you want to go into medicine?" Bernie probed, pushing the pillow behind her further up her back.

"Funnily enough, I'd not thought about much until A levels were around the corner and I was stumped. The idea just grew on me from then on and I've always strived for the top of my game, so that's how I came to Holby and to being the deputy CEO, though I suppose being the lead of our mad house was enough, I just didn't realise it. Mind you, me and Ric had quite a few hum dingers in my first role on Keller, and some…" Serena lightly laughed, shuffling her back against Bernie, who tangled her arms around in front of her.

"And why doesn't that surprise me?" Bernie all but whispered.

"In my experience, Ric doesn't do friendships before he's taken you through the boxing ring." Serena answered, twisting her head back, smirking at Bernie for the reply she knew would come.

Instead, she was thumped softly across her stomach with the stray pillow, before a low giggle rose behind her.

"Very funny, Campbell." She slowly moved her arms to their original settling, wrapped loosely around Serena's shoulders. "But for some reason, I haven't quite had the whole genial Griffin experience,"

"Give it time…" Serena mumbled, snuggling subconsciously back into their original position. "Or alcohol. That tends to work with him too."

"No wonder you two get on so well!" Bernie exclaimed, grinning behind her.

"Oi, you don't complain anyway!"

Bernie hummed in audible agreement, as the couple fell into a comfortable silence, listening to the gentle buzz of the fridge and rhythmic ticking of the kitchen clock.

"What about you?" Serena broke the peace, turning to face Bernie.

"What about me what?"

"What got you into medicine? Or the army? Or both." Serena went to swing her legs off of the sofa, but Bernie beat her to it, keeping her firmly planted, too comfortable to want to disrupt the moment, no matter how much an adequately warmed cup of tea appealed. Serena melted back into her.

"Oh," Bernie sighed, "Well, my great-grandmother was the inspiration behind the whole doctoring thing. Late 1800s, early 1900s, she was a doctor in the East End. Took a whole load of shit because she was a woman and I remember my dad telling me about this pillock who banned her from the hospital because she'd protested to his unnecessary surgery. With some rare treasure of funding, she managed to set up and run a free thrift for the poor, like our own little NHS. Anyway, she left in the end because she married and had my grandmother. But, as a child, I used to love hearing stories of different people she'd treated, from all walks of life. The one that always stuck in my head was when her and my great-great-grandfather were involved in a train crash and she had to saw off a man's leg in the train wreckage! No anaesthetic! Crazy really. But that fascination stayed with me and it wasn't until later I realised it was the medicine that I was _really_ intrigued by." Serena's smile grew with the wide animation of Bernie's expression, filled with such a driving passion steeped in history and determination.

"Bloody hell," Serena shook her head in amazement of the story, astonished at the fact she'd never heard it before. "You never thought to tell me any of this before!?"

Bernie's glinted eyes creased into an admirable grin, "I've got some of her books somewhere; I'll have to have a look."

"Oh do! I can't believe I haven't heard about this before, Bern! No wonder you're so determined. It seems to be in your blood!"

Bernie scoffed slightly, pulling Serena back to her.

"What about the army then?" She finally asked again, straightening her legs out, lying against her partner now.

"My great grandmother Eleanor married an Army major." Was the simple response received.

"So?" Serena quirked her head back once more.

"So, nothing really. So, they were at a careers thing we had at school. So, it sounded interesting. So, I joined up." Serena felt slightly amused at the blunt nature of these comments, completely drab and damp compared to the light luminosity of Eleanor's story. Serena decided the reasoning behind it was something she'd tackle at a later date.

"What do you reckon you would have done if you hadn't been a doctor?" Serena changed tactics completely, noticing Bernie had starting turning in on herself absently, now fiddling with the links of Serena's necklace on the back of her neck.

"I've already told you that," Bernie smirked, as Serena spun around quickly, confusion plastered to her face. "successor to Maria Von Trapp."


	33. The Problem with pets

**I'm back! And I apologise for the absence... it would appear that moving house is** ** _quite_** **a challenge but the biggest hurdle has been swapping internet provider- seriously, if it had been one of the twelve labours, Hercules would've been screwed. Anyway, a prompt from eons ago... may feature kittens?**

"No, Serena." Bernie repeated- she'd lost count of the amount of times this morning- nudging the sliding door with her arm, balancing a steaming mug in each hand.

"Oh, but why not!" Serena pouted, spinning around on the garden bench, the pillow she'd brought outside flopping to the patio slab with a surprisingly heavy thud.

"Don't start a tantrum, Campbell. Look at you!" Bernie chuckled, carefully placing the tea on the table and pulling her hand back sharply at the sting of scalding steam.

"Did that hurt?" Serena cocked her head in a concerned tone, though the undeniable smile plastered on her face told otherwise.

"Oh, charming." Bernie mumbled but still retreated to her partner.

"So why not?" Serena disregarded the grumbles of her girlfriend, tugging on her arm like a child in persistence.

"Why wha- oh Serena." Bernie turned to face her on backpedalling to their original topic of conversation, or more Serena's insistence for the continuous challenging of decisions.

"Look. I see your point with the dog." Serena finally sighed but with her head dropping slightly at the recognition, she failed to catch Bernie's brightened smile and nod of acknowledgement.

"Yes…" Bernie tailed off, expectant that Serena's notorious perseverance would bubble through the moment of silence.

The whole debate had started a few days before; Alan had dropped Jason back from a weekend stay and had also brought Jason's newest fascination, in the form of a fuzzy, four-legged friend… that barked. Initially, Serena had been anxious about the pup bounding around on the furniture and scratching at the carpet but the pair had both been taken aback at his placid temperament when they'd all resided in the living room and Serena had found the terrier curled up in her lap, absently stroking his bronze fleece. Bernie had noted it with a fond smile, until her partner's gaze matched it.

"Someone with messier hair than you," she'd whispered when Bernie had leaned further into her, watching the dozing dog.

Bernie hummed in content and softly kissed her cheek, before getting up.

Now, Bernie wished she'd been the one to pick Jason up, and avoid Serena's contact with any animal at all. It had been the only topic of discussion since Sunday evening, and something told Bernie her girlfriend wasn't about to give up yet. It'd taken at least 72 hours for Bernie to drill sense of practicality into her overly-optimistic other half, who had taken to various methods of persuasion in trying to get her own way- one of which involved 'selflessly' insisting on taking the admin of the day, letting the major loose in theatre for her entire shift. This certainly hadn't gone amiss with Bernie, but she kept quiet for Serena to approach her later on, rather than poking around for her obvious intentions.

"But how about a cat?" Serena had now planted her calves across Bernie's lap and hugged the abandoned pillow to her chest, head resting atop with wide, innocent eyes.

"You just don't let up, do you?" Bernie whispered in a long exhale. "A cat?"

"A cat."

"But- You're like a child, Serena. One minute of fixation then an instant jump to the next short-lived interest. Do I really have to give the whole 'commitment and responsibility' speech?" Bernie leaned back, playing with the hem of Serena's socks.

"Tad hypocritical, darling." Serena volleyed back, though not in the harsh tone of vindictiveness, more as a teasing tactic for soft gain.

"Yeah, well, I've improved, wouldn't you say?" Bernie had learnt to take the point of argument with a pinch of salt, just as she tackled Serena on Edward's infidelity; they were issues that the pair had worked to strengthen from weakness to experience, sometimes point of humour (especially after a glass or three).

"Definitely," Serena leaned across to kiss her, before returning to both her original position and the task in hand: Operation Persuade-Bernie-Pet-Is-Good-Idea, she'd decided, didn't quite have the desired effect of urgency.

"So what would be the issue with a young feline?" Serena pressed on, smiling again at Bernie's groan.

"Half the time, we're not here!" Bernie began: if Serena wanted an argument, she was going to bloody well get it. "Either I am on shift, you're on shift, or we're out. Go on, tell me the last time we were in for the whole day? Speaking of which, I don't see _you_ getting up to let him in at three in the morning- mostly because you could sleep through a bloody hurricane. So it would be left to muggins here."

"The last sofa day was two weeks ago Thursday. And I would too! Who put the bins out last week? That was at 7. On a late start!" Serena retracted her legs and crossed them on the bench. If Bernie wanted a battle, here she was.

"Okay, and with _all_ of this extra time on our hands, when would you train the thing? I presume the instant attraction for you was the early-days cuteness?"

"Was with you."

Bernie ignored the deadpanned comment, but made mental note to pick up on it later- she was on a roll now, and Serena would not distract her from it; she knew the surgeon's game far too well. There was a reason she'd got so far up the ladder at Holby, and it wasn't just for her good looks.

"You'll go nuts when he scratches out the rug, or pisses in the plants." Bernie folded her arms across her chest, her narrowed expression prompting a defending proposition from the other side.

"I've already looked, shelters help with the training. They're neutered, vaccinated and litter trained." Serena smugly retorted, holding her head a little higher and mirroring her partner's stance.

"Holidays?"

"Jason. Or Elinor. Cameron? Raf definitely would. Morven would be practically jumping for the chance."

"Room?"

"Cat bed under the stairs."

"And our room would be off limits?"

Serena paused and pondered on the situation. Her initial reaction was a definite 'no, where I go, the cat will go' but Bernie's detailed questioning, the cheeky quiver to her lip, the relaxed slump to her originally stern posture… was it her, or had Serena Campbell triumphed yet again?

"Of course." Serena quickly assured, nodding enthusiastically (fingers crossed behind the pillow).

"We'll see then." Bernie smirked, as Serena launched herself across the bench onto Bernie's lap with no reservations. Of course, she'd sneak the kitten into the room somehow, by that time it'd be too late for Bernie to refuse… just you wait.


	34. Under The Weather

**Hello! You'd think the summer hols would give me more time to write, wouldn't you?! Anyway, running a bit low on the ground prompt-wise so any suggestions, send them my way! Enjoy x**

The room spun this morning, when Bernie had leapt out of bed, which was unusually unstable for a medic who'd kept to the same rigid routine since her military days, habits dying hard and all. She'd stirred under a disorientating fog, her head thrumming around the temples, a sore ache dull behind her eyes, and the peach glow of an early sun- softened by the barrier of Serena's grey curtains- stinging them shut again. That was another point: Serena. Even on the begrudgingly abrupt and unbalanced starts to days when Bernie had the morning off and her partner began the working shift early, it was Bernie who rose in an attempt to selflessly lessen the 5am start and wake her girlfriend with a welcome coffee and kiss.

But today? They both had the day off- pure bliss on most accounts- and it was always Bernie who woke earlier and prepared a breakfast in bed for them, leaving Serena to drift back to consciousness, being the one who valued sleep for its luxury, rather than Bernie's belief that it was a necessity- not something she'd endure by choice. Yet, Bernie looked back at the bed, one side tidily tucked away, pillows primly plump and poised on the top of the duvet, velvety grey throw squared off at the foot of the bed, compared to the crumpled mess of quilt she'd just tumbled out of. In any brighter mood, Bernie would have laughed at how the scene summed up their two personalities perfectly. Wandering absently to the bathroom, she managed to navigate the disaster of a medicine cupboard (her fault, too, from blindly rummaging for the antihistamines in the darkness of the early morning previously that week) and nearly choked in chucking back the 4 tablets at once. What the hell was wrong with her today?

Serena returned, in their switched roles, with strong coffee and warm pastries- a celebration for the first full, unplanned day the couple had had off together since at least June, Serena had argued earlier that week. Unplanned wasn't quite how Bernie would define it, for when Serena first noticed the date on the rota, she'd gone to endearingly extensive lengths in coming up with a plan for the day, eager to make the most of the rare time they had together in sociable hours, that didn't involve scrubs and scalpels.

"The plan for today, Major," Serena began, talking through the room with a raised voice in knowing Bernie remained in the bathroom "Is to head down to those gardens we were on about last summer?" Serena directed, though with an air of suggestion, she was adamant for her planning.

Bernie had to ask Serena to repeat her directions when she came out, holding on a little tighter to the doorframe, more for support than of her usual casual stance, for when her partner had been explaining Bernie had been concentrating on not gagging whilst brushing her teeth and then failing, bringing up the tablets she'd neglected to take with any sort of lining to her stomach.  
Normally, Bernie would have been delighted with the prospects of the day but today was a different matter. Everything was obscure and unfamiliar to her. Refusing to accept her brief ailments to be cause for a disrupted outing, she took sips of the coffee and forced the croissant down, the overpoweringly buttery scent making her nose curl, before slipping off to try the tablets again.

The first time Serena seriously asked if Bernie was okay was when she insisted Serena drive. For the country lanes they were about to endure, the pair would have usually made teasing comments on Serena's inability to brake and impatience with tractors. Bernie had insisted, as expected by both parties, that she was fine and a mere headache plagued her confidence in driving. Reluctantly, Serena started the car as a sirimiri dotted the windscreen with light beads and scattered skims of rain to the windows. Keeping the music notably lower, the domestic discussions for the further plans for the day and dinner dissipated, Serena humming to the quiet notes of the radio before noticing Bernie was, not just quiet, but completely silent, her face slumped against the icy chill of the glass.

Concerned- for Bernie never slept during the daytime, even on a night shift she would fight the fatigue into the later afternoon when the sun was begin to retreat itself- Serena turned into the petrol station, using the excuse of fuel to rouse her partner and pick up an en route caffeinated treat, which soon became noted as a requirement for the rural journey she positively hated to drive.

Delicately brushing her unruly blonde fringe away, Bernie flitted her eyes open slowly- too slowly for Serena's liking- looking momentarily lost with a blank expression at the unregistered face.

"Darling, are you okay? We've only been driving for an hour and you've fallen asleep." Serena whispered, Bernie grimacing at the harsher sunlight filtering through now the low sombre clouds had parted and lifted away to a lighter skyline.

With deeper concern when Bernie didn't instantly reply, even to feign certainty in how 'fine' she was, Serena walked around to the passenger side, opening it carefully so as an unmoved Bernie didn't spill out onto the ground, and crouched to be level with her partner. Something wasn't right, and it didn't take a medical degree to figure that one out.

"Sweetheart," Serena tried again, the notion reminding her of painful Monday mornings trying to coax Ellie out of bed cooperatively, hoping the school run would be smoothed over by the kinder approach of patience Serena had come to master by the October half term of Elinor's first year.

Bernie murmured a low and grumbled response, heavily fatigued as her head rolled back carelessly onto the headrest. Serena placed the back of her hand to Bernie's forehead, finding it burning and sticky, in fact, her whole body radiating heat and glistening with a sheen of cold sweat. She opened her eyes, squinting against the sunlight, eyes still weighed down as if she hadn't slept for a week, tempting her to the dark side of sleep. Suddenly, she shivered violently, startling herself, before looking back to Serena's soft frown with a confused, vacant expression that made her partner's heart swell with love and worry.

"Let's get you home," Serena hushed, as Bernie stuttered to apologise, her teeth uncontrollably chattering as she opened her mouth. She left the door side to retrieve the blanket on the back seat, wrapping it snugly around her shuddering partner, before leaping back in the driver seat and leaving the opposite direction than intended when they'd ventured out that morning.

Bernie fell back into a slumber by the time they'd exited onto the main road, Serena spending equal time glancing across to her as watching the road before her and equal time grasping Bernie's limp hand as changing gear. Taking the slightly detoured route to avoid a terrible bout of spiralling roundabouts and sharp corners (for her car's sake as much as Bernie's in the sickness department), Serena got them back through the calmest journey possible; she now had the added challenge of waking Bernie again, this time with enough strength to get her back into the house.

Trying the same tactics as before worked well initially. It must be my charm Serena smiled, as she unbuckled the belt and drew the blanket away for Bernie to try and step out. Feeling completely disorientated, she dizzily fell from standing against the car into Serena's arms, who instinctively wrapped around her waist for the most support she'd ever seen Bernie need. Even on that night Raf had bet Bernie she couldn't down that large whiskey. Twice. The major had accepted the challenge and, in her Wolfe ways, left Mr DiLucca owing her £20 the next day. The money went straight to an unamused Serena for the lampshade she'd managed to knock from the ceiling when they'd eventually shuffled her through into the living room that night.

The trials of the concrete steps were an issue in their own right, Serena having kittens about the disastrous scene playing in her mind of a shaky Bernie collapsing down the stone steps. Thanking the Gods once the pair were safely through the door, she was guided through to the living room, and, as if on cue, Bernie fainted onto the pillows, Serena trying to release her gently to avoid her bouncing on the crash.

Waiting patiently for her to stir, Serena grabbed the blanket from behind the sofa and dimmed the light, darting out to fill a bottle with chilled water.

"Hey, you." Serena purred when Bernie eventually blinked her wet eyes slowly, brushing away the stray tear that fell carefully. Once aware of her relative surroundings, Bernie managed a weak smile as the blanket was waved out across her, Serena tucking in beside her and was promptly snuggled into herself by her girlfriend.

"I'm sorry," Bernie drawled, but before she could continue she was cut off by the sternest words Serena had spoken all day.

"No, darling. I'm not doing that." She kissed the blonde curls resting on her shoulder and pulled the blanket further up Bernie's shoulder, hugging her closer into her side, whilst Bernie's sprawled arm found it way more firmly around Serena.

"Besides, I should have realised this morning when the alarm had been going for a good 2 minutes and you were still completely out of it. I wouldn't have minded staying in today, you know. In fact," Serena continued her ramble in a low voice, glancing to the window now streaming with torrential rain, giving silently thanks that she hadn't had to contend with hefting Bernie through in that. "it would have been a pretty pathetic day with this weather. I'd much rather be curled-" Serena halted at the gentle snuffle into her jumper, and sighed realising Bernie had drifting back to sleep contently safe in her partner's arms.

"here with you."


	35. Rivals at the Roadside

"This is your fault." Serena pulled her scarf in tighter, in vain attempt to huddle against the icy wind that rushed along with the steady stream of cars that flew by parallel to the grass bank she now stood in.

"How, exactly?" Bernie whipped up quickly from the bonnet she'd been peering into for the past ten minutes, her glare illuminated spectacularly by the bold shine of the headlights.

"You were driving, Bernie." Serena groaned, resisting the urge to stamp her feet.

"It's your car." Bernie retorted, returning her attention back to the engine.

Silence fell amongst the pair, Serena gazing out across the darkened road, twinkling far out with hazed white dots of light. She tried to track one set from the horizon line, where the cars descended from the hilltop, to follow it down the carriageway. She lost count when it swapped lanes and overtook a van.

"How much longer?" Serena shivered.

"I don't _know,_ do I? I'm not bloody psychic." Came the strained response, drowned by the rumbling of cars. This time, Serena did stamp her feet. And Bernie caught her.

"You're petulant."

"You're problematic." Serena quipped, returning her attention to the traffic- mainly on the lookout for a recovery vehicle.

"When was your car due a service, Campbell?" Bernie queried with an air of suspicion in her tone: a smugness that Serena knew meant she was already in knowledge of the answer, and had won their brief feud.

"August…" Serena mumbled, again tugging on her scarf.

"Sorry? Didn't quite catch that?" Bernie's voice grew in volume and confidence, as she retrieved herself from the bonnet and started to climb the bank on which Serena had found herself walking to in boredom earlier.

"August." Serena admitted with a sigh, now looking up from the soil straight into Bernie's narrowed eyes.

"And _I'm_ the problematic one?" Bernie smirked, pulling on the lapels of Serena's coat to pull her forward gently.

"You were driving?" Serena tried, but smiled at how ridiculous it sounded.

"Been there, done that one." Bernie kissed her lightly, before moving up beside her and wrapping an arm around her waist, drawing her nearer. The affection was greatly appreciated by Serena, who went to put her own arm around her partner and snuggle against her as best she could.

"I wish we were on the sofa." Serena mumbled against Bernie's own coat.

"Shiraz, blanket, central heating…" Bernie teased, receiving a playful knock that set her footing off balance. "We've still got to put the door back on."

"Shut up." Serena growled, thinking over the tragic day they'd had. Well, not tragic in the great scheme of things, but she'd known it would be a bad day from the moment Bernie got locked in the bathroom this morning. The door had got jammed and in panic, keen for punctuality in a busy day of electives and meetings, Serena had taken a hammer to the hinges. Bernie couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the offending instrument, and made a mental note to buy a screwdriver, and hide the hammer. Serena had continued the chain of calamity with a ceremonious coffee spill down her new blouse and had resorted to the uncomfortable uniformity of AAU scrubs for her shift. All as well, considering less than 5 minutes after settling down to administration, the red phone rang to bring in two major RTC victims, one of which they lost after long laborious hours desperately trying to stop the inevitable bleeding. To make it worse, Serena had hardly seen Bernie all day, who had been dealing with fragile F1s for the first half of her shift. By the end of the day, they were shattered. And this was all they needed.

"I'm not cooking tonight." Serena stated bluntly when her eyes became heavier, and Bernie had pulled them down to sit on the grass. Serena was settled contently in between Bernie's legs, whose arms remained tight around her middle, Serena leaning back comfortably. She was still freezing, but heavy fatigue and mild comfort were resulting in an overpowering lethargy.

"We'll order a takeaway on the way home." Bernie pressed a kiss to her partner's head and pulled her back impossibly closer.

"Bernie?" Serena made a minute effort to turn, but fell back into her hold before any worthwhile impact could be held.

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry. I should have got the car sorted months ago." Serena grabbed Bernie's hands, threading their fingers together.

"Don't worry about it. Chances are, this would happen at somepoint. Always wondered how you'd deal with it, considering." Bernie chuckled and this time, Serena did turn around.

"Considering what?" Serena frowned at Bernie's unaltered amusement.

"Well, the first time I saw you, you weren't particularly… level headed with a breakdown, were you?" Bernie smiled at Serena's visible recollection of the event.

"I was being diplomatic."

"Diplomatic is definitely not the word I'd have used, darling."

"And you stride over, stating the obvious, as unhelpful as ever." Serena gruffed, twisting back around, pulling Bernie's arms back to her.

"I was trying to help!" Bernie feigned offence at the notion she hadn't been wanted.

"Well, it didn't work, did it Major? I spent half the bloody day trying to talk sense into them."

"See? Not so diplomatic after all." Serena knocked her foot against Bernie's and suppress a giggle herself.

Serena jumped forward when she felt Bernie's phone go, allowing her to pick it up and hoping for, finally, some good news; a light at the end of the ridiculously long Tuesday tunnel. It was when Bernie's face fell and her lightened features became stern and ever so slightly fierce, that the revelation hit Serena's subconscious too, as she drew a hand slowly up to cover her gasp.

"Campbell…" Bernie growled, ending the call and folding her arms.

"Yes, darling?" Serena's heightened pitch and batting eyelashes did nothing to relieve the Major's glare.

"That was recovery. Your membership ran out last month." Again, not a hint of a smile.

"Ah," Serena laughed nervously, before daring to move closer to her girlfriend.

"Indeed. So, come on then, Ms Campbell. What do you suggest we do? If I'm the problematic one, you must have some sort of-" Bernie's rambles were cut off by a sudden kiss, Serena used both to shut her up and reduce the inevitable grilling and taunting she'd receive for weeks to come.

It worked.


End file.
